Once again obfuscation emanates from the leadership corridors of North Yorkshire Police. This time it’s over proposed cuts to staff in the call handling centre.

Apart from the fact that the Chief Constable’s startling proposals to reduce staff (The Press, May 7) will turn the clock back to 2017 when service was so bad that one-third of all calls to the centre were unanswered, they appear to be diametrically opposed to the expenditure plans of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

How do the cuts square with the justification given by Ms Mulligan for a five per cent tax hike this financial year? According to the explanatory leaflet accompanying this year’s council tax demand, the recruitment of additional call handling staff is one of the key drivers of the need for extra income.

Time for the Commissioner to come clean and tell us how exactly she intends to spend the extra money she will receive this financial year if not on recruiting extra staff?

Allan Charlesworth,

Old Earswick, York