A RETIRED Sussex Police Detective Chief Superintendent wrote in The Argus (April 7) expressing his dissatisfaction with the manner in which the county’s police and crime Commissioner Katy Bourne involves herself with operational police matters which, in his view, she is not qualified to do.

Mr Moore concluded his letter by saying that he expected to see Giles York, the Chief Constable, and his successor after his imminent retirement, to step to the fore and for Mrs Bourne to, as he put it, “retreat to her office which is where she should be”. Unfortunately this is never going to happen unless the manner in which police and crime commissioners being elected changes drastically.

Candidates do not go round knocking on doors, no leaflets or posters are produced and delivered to every home and only local papers, like The Argus, publish names and profiles of the candidates who are standing for election to become the next commissioner, a position which carries an annual salary of £85,000 and an office staff that costs £1,250,000 a year.

In the 2016 election 274,000 Sussex electors turned out to cast their votes, but more than 941,000 stayed at home because, in my opinion, they didn’t have a clue about who the candidates were. This regrettable situation resulted, as it did in the 2012 election, with tens of thousands of people simply voting along party lines. Unfortunately Mr Moore’s desire to see the Chief Constable and his successor step to the fore and for Mrs Bourne to “retreat to her office” may well not come to fruition.

And why not? Because our Chief Constable is not only appointed by Mrs Bourne but she also has the power to sack him and his successors, which means that the role demands someone who has the courage of their convictions and able to bite the hand that feeds them. That calls for a very exceptional man or woman to step forward in an attempt to ensure that Sussex Police is led by a police officer and not a politician. Where are you, Sir or Madam?

Eric Waters Lancing