Never mind PCC Martyn Underhill (January 22), reminding us that the current state of the “lack of funding for Dorset Police” (although I fully understand why he is saying such a thing) may mean that Dorset residents will have to pay a larger share of money via their council tax payments to partly subsidise the Dorset Police Authority – is not the most important issue here.

What is, is that ever since the 1950s successive government’s of all persuasions have deliberately hoodwinked the public into accepting an ideology – a direct result of pseudo social science advocates of the bleeding-heart liberal intellectual variety, put forward the idea that prison is not the best place for repeat offenders.

That most criminals be put back into the community to ‘serve’ their sentences instead, where of course, they will reoffend.

Giving offenders a ‘Community Order’, is not only tantamount to ensuring that yet more crime will be committed, but a scenario whereby the public is forced into living with those who should be in prison, not roaming the streets seeking another victim.

Of course, what is really behind it all, is the fact it that costs money to lock people up. Prisons are expensive to run and build.

One reason why prisons are full and prison officers are in a constant state of anxiety.

And why police numbers are being chipped away. It costs money to employ the services of more police on the streets.

So to save money, government ministers have persuaded its citizens via its anti-prison propaganda and social scientific analysis to accept crime as if it is a way of life.

Which of course, it is nowadays. But as hopefully Mr Underhill knows, there is not a lot of point when the police catch criminals to then see them appear in court and being given fines, community orders, a slap on the wrist and so on, when, in many cases, these offenders should have been given a prison sentence.

Weak sentencing, not enough prison places, and the lack of a credible police force, gives criminals the ideal excuse to commit crime without any fear of a meaningful retribution.

ANDREW MARTIN
Weymouth