I write regarding the article concerning the performance of Sussex Police with regard to crime detection (The Argus, January 19).

The article failed to put into any context at all the issue as a whole and therefore, in my view, fails to provide a clear picture. Here are some simple facts:

1. The offence of household burglary is at its lowest for ten years.

2. Vehicle crime is at its lowest for the same period.

3. Sussex Police is clearing up more crime now than at any time in the past ten years.

4. Sussex Police, working with the Criminal Prosecution Service and the courts, is bringing more offenders to justice than at any time previously.

5. There have been year-on-year improvements in the number of crimes detected over the past four years.

I admit that when the figures are presented in the manner in which they appeared in The Argus - ie Sussex Police fails to clear up 75 per cent of reported crime - the picture does not look good.

However, no context was provided. Indeed, comparisons were made with forces which are by no means similar to Sussex.

An example of this is Dyfed Powys. This particular force does not have the same transient population Sussex has, thus meaning most crime is committed locally and is arguably easier to detect.

Policing is not just about crime investigation. We have a whole plethora of tasks to perform and problems and issues to solve. Demands on the police are higher now than at any time during my 27 years of service.

I highlight three examples of initiatives undertaken by my division, Brighton and Hove, which indicates this breadth of demand.

Our response to issues around street begging and drinking has won not only a national award but has also received international acclaim.

Similarly, our initiative around lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues and policing in Kemp Town has won a national award.

Thirdly, a major clampdown on drug dealing in Brighton and Hove has seen more than 100 dealers arrested and prosecuted during the past year.

In this current performance year (April 1, 2005, to March 31, 2006), Brighton and Hove is detecting about 29 per cent of all crime and over the past three months about 33 per cent.

I would suggest this shows a massive improvement year-on-year and is a tribute to the officers and staff on the division.

In a similar vein, serious violent crime - assaults constituting grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm - have decreased over the past three years, indicating Brighton and Hove is a much safer place.

Under the leadership of Ken Jones, the Chief Constable, a lot of excellent work has gone on over the past four years.

I know police officers and police staff at Brighton and Hove share my pride in being a part of Sussex Police and will continue to attempt to provide an excellent service.

Sure, we don't always get it right but then who does? We are always looking to improve and will continue to do so.

Articles such as the one last week do nothing to assuage the public's fear of crime or to increase their confidence in the police. Frankly, such writing is sensationalist and inflammatory when no context is provided.

- An Editor's comment: The Argus asked for a comment to accompany the story. The points now being made by the police could have been raised then but were not. The article was also not one about every service the police

perform. We have reported these on many other occasions, including LGBT issues and policing in Kemp Town.

Regarding the comment that the article was sensationalist and inflammatory, we take issue with both claims.

-We provided accurate information and also fair analysis of the latest police performance figures. We had no intention of increasing the public's fear of crime. However, we could not ignore the simple fact that according to these figures our force is among the worst in the country at clearing up crime.