I READ with great interest the front page article entitled "Lawless" regarding the concerns citizens and businesses express around public safety, crime, and the lack of Police on our streets.

It is of course no secret that nationally the police force, together with other public service bodies, has been decimated by the cuts this current government have made over the last seven years. I feel sure that locally, all involved would wish to see more police on our streets, not just in Brighton and Hove, but across the county.

Clearly, there is a strong correlation between rising crime and the lack of police available to respond to calls from the public.

I wonder if, perhaps instead of bemoaning the police for not responding in a timely (if at all) fashion to concerned callers, people consider whether they would be better to reconsider how they vote in future elections.

The fault for the lack of concerted policing in Brighton and Hove, and elsewhere, is as a direct result of a lack of proper funding by central government.

And, before everyone cries out "but what about austerity", I would like to remind folk that there is always plenty of money to go to war with countries we should have nothing to do with (particularly in the Middle East where we seem intent on continuing to stir up as much hatred towards the West as possible thereby justifying war for the future), costing millions and millions of pounds per day, or for paying the DUP to prop up this government when they were never democratically voted for by us, or for nuclear arms, or for helping out the likes of businesses such as Virgin Trains who seem unable to run themselves efficiently (as public services are expected to). There is plenty of money; it's just being used in the wrong way.

The police are doing an utterly remarkable job given their current constraints. If people really want to see them back on the street in numbers, then consider where you put your X at the ballot box next time. If the government cared about public safety and crime, they would never have reduced the Police Force across the country to how it currently has to operate.

Sue Beatty

Branch Secretary

UNISON Brighton and Hove