According to new research published by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and the Government's Crime and Justice Adviser Louise Casey, too many people do not know about the service standards they get from the police.

The research shows that 47% of people know about the service provided by their local police - compared to 74% from their GP and 62% from their local council.

The new radio, print, poster and digital adverts campaign aims to highlight the public's entitlement to a set of promises - the Policing Pledge - that every police force has have signed up to.

The Pledge, which was rolled out nationally in December 2008, is a new and clear deal for what the public can expect from the police. It gives local people an unprecedented say over how their communities are policed and the opportunity to hold the police to account - to ensure they are getting the service they want. It also means people can be confident that the police are delivering the same set of national service standards throughout the country while still delivering action on their local priorities.

The Pledge is just one part of the Policing Green Paper, published last summer, which signalled a fundamental shift in police accountability and reporting. The focus is now on police reporting and responding to local communities rather than central government, as well as on individual police officers having the responsibility and the discretion to tackle the issues that matter locally.