I HAVE read with interest the article in Friday’s Echo (02/10/15) titled ‘Force ready to cut PCSOs’.

Martyn Underhill said he anticipates a 25 per cent cut in the police budget for next year and equated this to reducing the frontline police force by about 300.

If he reduces the police force by 300 while crime figures are up, that would be his choice, but he does have other options for addressing a reduced grant anticipated – the purchasing of equipment, the maintenance of police buildings, and such matters as alliances with other forces, accessing funding opportunities and reviewing the whole police workforce, not just of police officers and PCSOs, but backroom staff too. Reviewing all of these and more are among many ways the PCC could address reducing budgets.

The Police and Crime Panel holds meetings with the commissioner and he justifies his decisions with us, as we are 15 elected and two appointed members from the county of Dorset to scrutinise the commissioner and his police and crime plan, to ensure Dorset is policed economically, efficiently and effectively.

I must emphasise that Mr Underhill will have to prove to us his suggestion that the only way to cut spending is by reducing frontline police officers, having investigated all his many other options he has at his disposal. Our meetings are held in public, and we would welcome to hear the public’s views on the decisions of the PCC.

COUNCILLOR JOHN ADAMS Chairman, Dorset Police and Crime Panel