I AM WRITING in reference to Richard J Szypulski about policing (The Argus, Tuesday).

I have to agree with the contents of his letter.

I accept the world has changed since the alleged "old days" and the population has to move on, that is if it is an advantage.

Taking away the beat system was a terrible mistake, it was looked upon as being modern.

Currently, although I would back returning to the beat system, it won’t happen the way it used to work.

The reason, that is because there is now not enough police officers.

In 1967 when Brighton lost its police force, one of the most efficient in this country, when it became a part of Sussex Police, there were over 400 police officers working in Brighton.

There were 28 police officers working Brighton on the night shift, walking and checking properties (known as "shaking door handles"), every commercial shop and office on your beat had to be checked. Look out if you missed an unlocked door.

The more important properties, such as banks and post offices, had to be checked at least twice a night and to prove you had checked these properties, you wrote the times you checked them in your pocket book and these times would be checked by the inspector.

I walked the streets on all shifts for around eight years, walking four to five miles per eight-hour shift on average. It was tough going but very enjoyable. I moved on to being a dog handler.

Sadly, all you appear to see these days are a couple of police persons in a police car as it goes speeding past. How on this earth can they spot anything? Information comes from the public but if you don’t speak to the public how the heck are you going to find out what is going on in the streets of your area?

The final point is there are not enough experienced officers available these days, not their fault, I must add.

Get the numbers of police officers up and return to the old ways, sometimes they prove to be better and, more importantly, more efficient.

David Rowland

Telscombe Cliffs