Letters of the week - Bring back the 'Bobby on the beat'

I refer to the letter of July, from a retired police officer, regarding the endemic vandalism of today and Liskeard in particular.

One of the main causes for the spread of vandalism is the lack of uniformed police officers patrolling our streets, due to the modern disease known as 'central control'. This is killing initiative in all walks of life.

On paper, police efficiency is measured by their 'response time', no matter how trivial the incident. Incidents and crime are of importance to central control, to justify its existence.

The day of crime-free areas has, like the uniform police presence creating that environment, gone. How could crime -free areas justify the huge bureaucracy and all its paraphernalia?

Being a witness or assisting the police receives no support from the judiciary or extra support from the police, even though the fear of assault or damage are real for police witnesses.

Until the police are judged on keeping their areas crime-free, rather than attending to reported incidents and surrendering to unsolved vandalism, things will get worse rather than better.

I am against people sitting behind cameras under central control; I am all for the 'Bobby on the beat'.

MR V LESTER

Liskeard