Letter: Forget Welsh language lessons and get policing

Letter: It is a sad sign of the violent times in which we live, to read that a man was robbed at knifepoint near Newtown railway station in daylight hours recently.

Despite this, the public are repeatedly told Powys is the safest area in which to live.

With an ever-changing population from the larger towns and cities in the UK this is absolute nonsense.

Several elderly residents are reluctant to venture out in Newtown in the evenings, for fear of being attacked.

In recent months individuals have been assaulted and items stolen.

This would have been unheard of some years ago.

The same edition hails the police for its efforts in promoting the use of the Welsh language in the workplace.

Commendable, I'm sure, but the general feeling of the public is that the police today have lost sight of their objectives and priorities, in order to be seen "doing the right thing".

Community support officers with no powers at law; traffic wardens; civilian security firms; civilians running the stations and the introduction of civil enforcement officers in 2011 - is it any wonder the jobs of many trained police officers are now at risk, in order to save millions in the next three years?

Whatever pruning may ultimately be needed I would suggest they start at the top.

Bernard Jones

Powys