LETTER: Police presence has disappeared

A big thank you to our Chief Constable, ably supported by the PCC Katy Bourne, for removing the last vestige of any police deterrent, protection or preservation of peace and proper community liaison in vast swathes of Sussex not least towns like Crowborough (population over 25,000) where there is no police presence any more.

Post Paris and Brussels, it seems extraordinary and appallingly perverse that any semblance of a deterrent let alone protection or reassurance has gone.

Exceptional and dangerous stupidity. Well done for disconnecting the police even further from the public whom they are supposed to serve.

Clearly the primary duties of our force and the pledge made by every police officer no longer apply and frankly nor do any of the undertakings made by Mrs Bourne when she wanted the job or indeed by the Chief Constable in his Operational Delivery Plan when he was appointed with her blessing.

I do not recall they ever said they were only interested, for reasons of kudos, in Brighton and Hastings.

It seems they are happy, unlike the public, to turn the force into a reaction only model provided of course there is even police representation with transport to get to a scene of crime, and moreover within a reasonable time scale.

The PCSOs here in Crowborough were exceptionally dedicated and greatly helped to prevent and deter inter alia criminal activity, anti social behaviour, vandalism apart from superlative community liaison skills.

They helped make the town a good place to live. All gone thanks to the Giles and Katy show.

Mrs Bourne has shown sadly to me as a former Tory voter that her party has divested itself of any pretence of being the party of law and order at local or any level.

As the Kent Chief Constable has stated how important police presence is to the public and thus why Kent are keeping their PCSOs then why not Sussex?

Hopefully at the forthcoming PCC election the good people of Sussex will vote for any candidate (other than the present Commissioner) who will fight hard for the public and a return to a force that will have PCSOs at the very least walking the streets again and making us feel safer rather than some useless reaction model.

If it means the current misguided Chief Constable has to go then so be it. Perhaps Kent’s Chief Constable could look after inland Sussex until the new PCC has found someone else who will do the job.

Jill Stanyon

Osborne Road

Crowborough