REPORTED crime in North and East Yorkshire is still falling, despite a national rise. That is good news for residents in the two counties, and a tribute to the hard work of frontline officers.

Targeted policing and crime-busting partnerships are clearly paying dividends. In York, for example, the new burglary squad has used the latest forensic techniques to trap known offenders and reduce break-ins. At the same time the Safer York Partnership continues to bring together various agencies in a united front against the criminal.

We must not forget what today's statistics mean in human terms. By reducing the number of offences by 3.2 per cent and 7.1 per cent respectively, the North and East Yorkshire forces have reduced the number of crime victims by several thousand. That has prevented incalculable trauma and misery.

These successes do not obscure the disturbing increase in violent crime in North Yorkshire, of course. The police have worked with licensees and doorstaff to combat alcohol-fuelled trouble, but extra effort is needed in this area.

The crime-cutting achievements of North Yorkshire police are more impressive given that there are so few of them. If the force was properly staffed, it would be able to prevent and detect even more offences. The force must tackle the alarming number of officers retiring early through sickness. North Yorkshire is hardly the most hazardous patch to police, yet the force has the third worst record in the country for retirement on medical grounds.

This places the remaining officers under greater pressure and reduces morale. The force's human resources department - boosted in the wake of those sexual discrimination allegations a few years ago - must address this problem urgently.

Only then might the force's appeal for a fairer funding formula be taken seriously by ministers. Comparisons with other forces prove North Yorkshire is badly underfunded. Fewer officers retiring early, and more money to pay for new recruits would boost police numbers, enabling the force to increase the heat on the criminal fraternity.