THERE has been a lot of comment about the invisibility of the police recently, and although I would not totally concur, having seen a "bobby on a bike" recently doing the rounds in Haxby, I would agree that a new initiative would be worth looking at.

In Spain, the beat constable gets around on a moped, and closer to home in Edinburgh, not too dissimilar to York, the street constables get around swiftly on scooters.

I think that they are the fully automatic 125cc versions.

This makes them more visible than putting them in Panda cars, probably cheaper too.

Another suggestion is that the new community patrols be given a simple form of power of arrest, for example for begging, litter dropping etc or other minor crimes committed on their actual "patch", which would otherwise mean a wait while a real policeman is called to the scene.

I don't suggest giving them guns, just some handcuffs.

BW Lyne,

Usher Park Road,

Haxby, York.

Updated: 10:39 Saturday, September 27, 2003