YP Letters: The thin blue line in rural North Yorkshire

RE your feature ‘The rural front line’ (The Yorkshire Post, March 16).

Chris Bond’s excellent article reveals some concerns of rural people threatened by a crime wave.

It’s said North Yorkshire is a low crime area.

Really?

I suspect crime rates are much higher than those reported. Nor is all the crime committed by people from outside the area.

Machinery stolen from farms is often used to break into other premises. At least three cash machine thefts near York have involved stolen farm machinery. We are all affected.

While the Rural Crime police task force is welcome, I question if it makes up for slashed police staffing in North Yorkshire brought about by Government cuts.

I hate to say “I told you so” but aren’t those who voted for “austerity” now suffering higher crime and fear of crime?

Many police sourced stories have appeared in North Yorkshire papers over the last six months, far more than the previous six months. This couldn’t be anything to do with a Police and Crime Commissioner election coming up, could it? Or am I just a twisted old cynic?