I READ with interest Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan’s call for a “mature debate” about replacing even more frontline police officers with backroom staff to add to the 15 per cent reduction in police officer numbers over the last 10 years (“More to police than numbers”, The Press, May 23).

One wonders whether the timing of the debate is intended to signal to applicants for the vacant post of Chief Constable that she will expect them to do more with less by operating a fire brigade and sticking plaster service.

Is it mature to suggest time spent by backroom support staff analysing crime that is generated online is as valuable to the public as time spent by frontline detective constables gathering intelligence, disrupting serious and organised crime, dealing with the threat of terrorism and armed gangs, or arresting criminals?

Is it mature to contend there will be no adverse effects in our communities by withdrawing high profile uniformed officers embedded in them?

They are the frontline of preventing and detecting crime; intervening in cases of violence, disorder and drug dealing; as well as confronting gangs and dealing with grooming and abuse.

It is misleading to suggest that even more “efficiency savings” can be wrung from a service that was cut to the bone under the stewardship of former

Home Secretary Theresa May and yet has since taken on social service responsibilities and computer generated crime.

Ms Mulligan has called for “a mature debate” about her proposals… let me begin by suggesting she opens a “mature” dialogue with the staff of North Yorkshire Police and listens to their views.

Allan Charlesworth,

Old Earswick, York