IT SEEMS that the police never get a good press but a lot of criticism, some which is deserved and some not their fault.

Any politician who reads this must understand that it is imperative that we pay a reasonable wage for our protection. There is no sane reason for underfunding.

Perhaps there are not enough applicants for a job not always pleasant.

We need coverage day and night. The recent crime of ram-raiding is a sign that there is not enough coverage at night. If vehicles are on the road at night,why aren't the stop-and-search tactics applied? They have a direct link with DVLA at Swansea, so why are so many cars, even unmarked, used on the motorways instead of patrolling vulnerable shops and businesses?

We may no longer have a man on the beat. So why isn't he in a patrol car?

The fact that there is more murder in London than New York is a sign that they have lost the plot.

One periodical suggests that there is more sympathy for the felon than for the innocent. This was highlighted by the removal of floral tributes from the home of a burgled man.

Nobody should be above the law. The do-gooders have made our country a paradise for criminals. Don't believe the statistics that we are holding our own. The fact is a lot of crimes just aren't being investigated. So if not recorded, it means that police haven't got the resources or the time. It won't get better until somebody takes a stand.

Don't hold your breath, keep everything locked up.

Alan Blandford

Southampton