THE PRESS coverage of the surging increases in burglary over the past year is evidence of the poor level of resources that York receives from the North Yorkshire Police Authority budget available (The Press, January 30).

York has nearly 50 per cent of the crime and this figure is rising, but only receives an arbitrary 33 per cent of the budget.

Since I have been on the police authority, I have raised at every possible opportunity the need for additional resources in York.

On October 4, 2007, I put a motion to council calling on the North Yorkshire Police Authority to set a budget that adequately reflects the policing needs of York.

I believe that the amount allocated to York does not reflect the need for a higher level of policing in the York area due to the higher crime rate.

I believe that having to tackle nearly half of all crime in the county with a third of the budget available doesn’t make a great deal of sense and is unfair to York taxpayers.

I want to secure proper resources for policing the city so that crime levels can be reduced, and so York residents can feel safer as well as getting value for their money.

The number of PCSOs and police officers introduced on the streets of the city has been a positive step due to extra funding from Government, one that has been well received by the public.

We believe their presence in local neighbourhoods and crime hotspots is having some impact and sending the right message to criminals.

However, it is not enough – as these crime figures show. A redistribution of funding would ensure more police on the streets of York to reduce crime and increase detection rates in the city.

Coun Ruth Potter, Labour North Yorkshire Police Authority representative for York, Chaucer Street, York.