IT IS 10pm on Saturday evening and Inspector Gebbie greets me at Hereford Police Station. Familiar to people in Ross as Inspector at Ross Police Station, tonight he is Duty Inspector, with responsibility for the whole county. Outside the night air is balmy and inside the temperature is stifling. Inspector Gebbie, however, remains cool and unflustered as he explains West Mercia's Summer Presence Campaign, while simultaneously monitoring reports as they come in on the computer screen and radio alerts crackle constantly.

The Summer Presence Campaign will have extra officers on the ground in Herefordshire, (and surrounding counties) over the next three weekends, aiming to tackle alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour and violent crime over the summer months, by having a visibly higher police presence in town and city centres in order to deter troublemakers. While the focus this evening is Hereford city centre, Inspector Gebbie explained the intention is to roll the campaign out to the market towns, including Ross. "It is designed to reduce disorder and has had an impact on violent crime," said Inspector Gebbie. "It can make a difference. And it is good for police to get out there and engage with public, saying to young people 'you are vulnerable' and engaging with them and preventing incidents."

Plain clothed officers are also out this evening – "People are a bit more relaxed with them" – but there are also high visibility patrols talking to revellers and handing out literature with advice on, for example, pre-drinking plans and getting home safely. Clubs and pubs also have legal responsibility not to sell alcohol to someone already clearly inebriated.

Tonight Inspector Gebbie's daunting task is to ensure the whole county is policed appropriately with his current allocation of resources. Decisions have to be made, prioritised and risk assessed. "Measuring risk, threat and harm is all of a policeman's job," he said. His computer is a 'happening' system, incidents coming in, each with unique number and parish code, and he can see at a glance where his resources are. This is vital for planning operations.

This evening the heart of Hereford Police station is quietly busy. However, a dog is barking itself hoarse in kennels. It belongs to someone taken into custody earlier in the day. There are several others in the Custody Suite too. Their welfare and legal entitlements are also the responsibility of duty inspector.

This evening's priority is two missing high risk juveniles. There is a quiet concentration as their whereabouts are sought. "In relative terms," said Inspector Gebbie, "Herefordshire is a safe place, but we still have our challenges." Despite the increasingly bureaucratic nature of policing and other pressures (balancing squeezed budgets, for example, or deploying staff for the Olympics), Inspector Gebbie still pounds the beat. "It's important to be seen. Everyday is different. It is a juggling act, with difficult decisions needing to be made."

At 11.30pm we go out in a police car. Many people are out on the streets of Hereford. The mood seems good natured and police can be seen on foot engaging with the public outside one or two of the pubs. One young man has been stopped in his car and breathalysed. He has difficulty standing upright. Without a fuss, he steps into the back of a police van and is taken to the custody suite for an evidential breath sample.

It is thankfully quiet so at 12.10am I head for home. For Inspector Gebbie and his team, however, the 'graveyard shift' continues. There is always pause for thought in this job, he says. "We are taught to be reflective and think about what we have done." He passes me on the way home. He's off to visit Ross. For further safety advice visit http://www.westmercia.police.uk">www.westmercia.police.uk.

Marsha O'Mahony