The news that in November a nationally held street-count of homeless people found a significant reduction in numbers from previous counts must be welcomed.

In Brighton and Hove, only six rough sleepers were encountered on the night of the count.

On Monday's BBC South East programme, doubt was raised as to the authenticity of this figure. It was pleasing to see that a more balanced reporting of the story was published in The Argus (December 4).

As a community beat sergeant for the city centre, I would like to set the record straight regarding the way the problem of homelessness is policed locally.

Firstly, Brighton and Hove police did not move-on rough sleepers prior to the count.

On the night in question, an officer from Brighton was part of the multi-agency team conducting the count.

Secondly, helping determine the true extent of the homeless population has been a consistent element of the police approach to dealing with the problem. Brighton police officers have been working very closely with contact and assessment staff to try to reach lasting solutions to the problems of individual rough sleepers.

People usually become homeless because they are in crisis and need help. They may have mental health needs or need rehabilitation from drink or drug dependency. Policing has to be sensitive to this reality to be truly effective. By linking with the contact and assessment staff, people are referred to the agencies that can help individuals off the street and keep them off the street.

Every effort is made to deliver a balanced approach to policing homeless people. To be homeless is not a crime but the presence of large numbers of street homeless does create policing issues. Experience shows many homeless people resort to begging because they have no official income.

If drugs or drink are a significant part of their lifestyle, the police will deal robustly when this leads to criminal or anti-social behaviour. By adopting this approach, we are working towards two main aims. The first is to get the long-term rough-sleeping population down. The second is to keep it down. The people of Brighton and Hove would expect no less.

Finally, yes, the number is probably lower than expected. No doubt some people may have been sleeping rough who were not found. There has been no cover-up or attempt to massage the figures. This count was the latest in a sequence and must be taken in that context.

It was a snap-shot on one particular night and the result was consistent with a downward trend in long-term homeless people on the streets of Brighton and Hove. It reflects the hard work that has been undertaken by all those statutory and voluntary agencies involved in reducing the numbers of rough sleepers. This work is ongoing.

During the coming cold winter months, it will no doubt prove to be of just as great a benefit to those entrenched Brighton and Hove rough sleepers who were not encountered on November 12 as to those who were. Fortunately, there are far fewer people who find themselves in this position than at any time in recent years.

-Sergeant Jon Gross, Brighton Police