IN order to sum up recent letters and a front page feature in this publication entitled "Keystone Cops" regarding concerns about crime in Hagley and how the area is being policed,which elicited numerous public comments on the Stourbridge News website, I think it fair to briefly respond to the letter by PC Lord of Hagley Local Policing Team,in the edition dated 21 April.

PC Lord claimed that recent criticism of Hagley Police was "unjustified",though he does not provide evidence to back up that (inaccurate) comment.

Iwould have thought he would have noted that, in fact, all the criticism was fully justified by way of matters of published fact supported by written evidence, even from the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

I would also have hoped PC Lord would have taken the opportunity to briefly informreaders of how exactly Hagley Police are acting on specific community crime concerns, and how regularly police are available for face-to-face meetings with concerned local residents so both police and the community can resolve these problems together.

Solving crime issues together with residents is precisely how local policing should work, rather than residents (who have experienced an obstructive and negative attitude from police including police refusing to publish relevant crime statistics) having to highlight their concerns through their local newspapers.

Peter Rowbottom West Hagley