Are police cuts going too far?

It has to be said that police in the Rye and Battle area do a great job and have proved very effective in a number of areas

But it is essential that we maintain this and that the level of Neighbourhood Policing is not eroded.

It is true to say the nature of crime is changing with cyber-crime and telephone scams continuing to rise, but people still need the reassuring presence of the Bobby on the beat.

It has been shown that fear of crime is a very real thing and people are happier when there is a visible police presence.

The public too has a part to play in realising that police cannot be everywhere and that resources are limited.

The idea of communities setting and sharing their priorities for policing is a good one and is working well in places like Rye.

The Chief Constable has pledged that the quality of policing will not change but the stark reality facing us is that Sussex Police is being forced to make savings of £57 million pounds and it is hard to see how that is not going to have some impact on the way our towns and villages are policed.