Rye Observer Comment: Rye area is a safe place to live and work

That was our verdict after meeting with the new Chief Inspector this week.

He is straightforward, honest and prepared to lead from the front.

Chief Inspector Botting had much to say but it was not empty rhetoric.

Not since the Rye Observer was established, nearly 20 years ago, have we been so aware of the visible role police are playing in the local community.

Officers are getting to the heart of rural communities, listening and tackling issues.

Hardly a week goes by when we are not reporting some crime they have cracked or an initiative they are involved in.

In a time of cut-backs and scant resources this is encouraging.

We are not under any illusions that Rye will be totally crime free, that sort of utopian ideal is unrealistic, but we agree with Chief Inspector Botting when he says that the Rye area is a safe place to live and work.

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Lies and damn statistics! They say figures can be massaged to mean anything and we have seen a prime example of that this week with claims that Doleham is the most crime-hit station in Sussex.

The statistics are worked out by combining passenger numbers with crimes and Doleham comes out the highest despite having only two reported minor crimes in as many years.

What the figures fail to take into account is the fact that Doleham has no passengers since Southern all but scrapped the stopping service.