Jay Nemes said the funding for the Anti-Victimisation Initiative (AVI) was a "criminal waste" (Letters, August 10).

As the race liaison officer for the Anti-Victimisation Unit (AVU, part of the AVI), I must point out that if you want to change something for the better, you have to work from the inside rather than externally. Miracles do not happen overnight.

Many of the communities who have suffered hate crime are wary about any sort of police interference and their needs and issues need to be taken into consideration.

Many people do not want to support a prosecution but still want police help. There is a fine line between the needs of the victim and the need to convict criminals.

Pumping money into training all trainee police officers with regard to community issues is a wonderful idea but who is going to impart this training Mr Nemes is talking about? The experts are those living in the communities that are affected by hate crime and it is to them we need to turn.

The AVI was and is a multi-agency partnership that is trying to utilise people at "ground zero" as well as in the public bodies that serve Brighton and Hove.

Yes, we do need equal policing for all communities and, yes, some communities do appear more catered for more than others but, until we can create an equilibrium where everyone is given a square deal, all we can do is our best with what we have.

The AVI was never a criminal waste. What is criminal is the Government jumping from pillar to post in a frenzied bid to keep up with popular opinion.

The reason it seems nothing ever gets done for victims of crime is we never stay with an initiative long enough to make a difference.

With the AVI having its funding pulled, the next initiative will come about and this will deal with "street crime".

By next year, it will be something else and - guess what? - this conversation we are having right now will start all over again. It brings new meaning to dj-vu.

-Suchi Chatterjee, St James's Street, Brighton