Your commentator John O'Brien's unfounded and inaccurate assertions about the adoption of the Airwave radio service by Sussex Police (The Argus, August 13) cannot be allowed to go unchallenged.

Sussex Police has accepted delivery of a system that provides good radio reception, far better than our current systems, across the force area.

Airwave is a national radio network to replace out-of-date police radio systems and all forces in the UK are contracted to use it.

Some 39 police forces are already doing so and the remaining 13 are going through a process similar to our own. An overwhelming proportion of officers already using it in other forces are telling us what an excellent system it is.

Airwave is far from untested. The system upon which it is based, Tetra, is used in more than 50 countries, including most of Europe. Indeed, security for the Olympic Games in Athens is being managed on Tetra.

Airwave has been in use operationally in the UK since 2001. Here in Sussex the coverage provided by this new network was tested extensively. Under the contract the contractor had to test it on every single road in Sussex and provide us with satisfactory results, which it did.

In addition, Sussex police employed a firm of independent consultants to confirm the results we were getting and finally we had 100 members of staff actually using the new radios to test whether the coverage we need was being provided. In all three tests we received excellent results.

Using John O'Brien's analogy about buying a car, we have bought the latest model. It is, as with everything, more expensive but has significantly more features than our current radios. Many of those features will enhance the safety of police officers and the public.

We have contracted this service for the next 15 years so, of course, as with a car, it will need servicing and new features will come along. The good news is we can improve it without buying a completely new model.

We do not own or control the radio masts. We buy network coverage from the contractor in the same way people rent airtime for their mobile phones.

Forces already using Airwave are catching more criminals as a result.

The new network is intended for other emergency services too. In Hereford and Worcester the ambulance service is using Airwave's data services to diagnose and treat heart attack victims at the kerb side. Sixteen lives have been saved as a result.

On the health issue, Airwave is licensed by Government and complies with all the precautionary guidelines set.

Sussex Police Authority has to pay for the Airwave service but, at the same time, it has also funded an increase in police officer numbers in Sussex to record levels and the increase to more than 200 of the numbers of uniformed Police Community Support Officers.

Without an effective communications system, these improvements would be to little avail. Airwave will help us respond better to the needs of the people we serve, tackle crime and restore true local policing in Sussex.

-Tony Toynton, Assistant Chief Constable, Sussex Police