CITY Councillor Steve Bell, writing in The Argus last Saturday, said that there will be a full Brighton and Hove City Council meeting next Thursday where Councillor Nick Lewry will be putting forward a notice of motion to help address one of the biggest issues raised by the city’s residents on a day to day basis, namely crime and anti-social behaviour.

Councillor Bell continued by saying that his fellow councillor’s motion highlighted the underutilisation of one of the council’s most important resources for combating anti-social behaviour, namely field officers, people who are financed partly by the Housing Revenue budget and partly through council tax.

Apparently, amongst other things, they address anti-social behaviour and target hotspots, a task that I was under the distinct impression was the duty of Sussex Police and which is financed by each of the city’s Council Tax Payers to the tune of £177.70 a year.

That being the case then perhaps Councillor Bell can answer the following

question in his next ‘Tory Talk’ article.

‘Why does his council believe that Sussex Police, with its 5,500 Warranted

Police Officers, Special Constables, Community Support Officers and civilian

staff, cannot combat crime and anti-social behaviour within Brighton and Hove without it spending even more taxpayers' money on a separate field officer force’?

Eric Waters

Lancing