POLICE Superintendent Jim Kilmartin is a local boy made good. Born and brought up in York, he rose through the force's ranks to become the first head of the combined York and Selby division only last December.

Much of his success in the police stems from his adopting what he called a "can do" attitude when he was with the Parachute Regiment. But now he has decided he can't do what is being asked of him properly. Out of the blue, he has decided to retire.

This is a shame for Supt Kilmartin andfor York. Few officers are more experienced - he worked on the Yorkshire Ripper case, headed the investigation that brought Special Constable Glenn Goodman's killer to justice and helped retrieve treasures from the blazing Minster in 1984.

His positive approach impressed those serving under him and helped to reduce recorded crime in York. He should have been able to retire after more success in his new position.

Instead, he has left the post abruptly, raising real public concern in the process. Supt Kilmartin has told the Chief Constable, David Kenworthy, that he has serious reservations about staffing levels in the area.

York MP Hugh Bayley has responded by echoing that anxiety. He told the Evening Press of his fears that the division gets less than its fair share of the county's resources.

The people of York and Selby have every right to be concerned about these developments. Not only have we lost a man the Chief Constable described as a "superb leader", but we are now being told that the police cover for this area is inadequate.

These matters must be addressed urgently. Mr Kenworthy needs to find a strong successor to Supt Kilmartin, someone who can bring much-needed stability to the post. And he should move to reassure the public that there are enough police officers in the area to fight crime effectively.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.