I refer to the Gazette, March 23, regarding the police on foot patrol, assisting the community.

I retired from Devon and Cornwall Constabulary after 31 years’ service in 1996, having served in London, Plymouth and the south Devon area, including many happy years in Kingsbridge.

Is the idea of police officers on foot assisting the community a new phenomenon? If so, it would be nice to see more of it, including reopening our local police station, which appears to be empty and in need of decoration.

It saddens me to see the decline of the police service. When I retired, Kingsbrige police station was open 16 hours a day, seven days a week, and manned constantly.

You knew you could ring or call in and speak to someone, even to report the most minor problems.

How do you speak to the police today? I have no idea other than by a telephone number which nobody answers or you may be lucky enough to see a police car drive by.

I understand that in the days of financial cuts we will never return to those days but perhaps we could start by getting rid of the very expensive crime commissioner and all her staff, a position that appears to me to make the chief constable role redundant.

There, I’ve got that off my chest. Here’s hoping things will change for the better – some hope!

Roger Raymont

Manor Park, Kingsbridge