I WAS disappointed to read in today’s Oxford Mail (May 25) that the Thames Valley Police dog unit will be reduced by 15 officers.

Our Police and Crime Commissioner, Anthony Stansfeld, part of whose role is to ‘set the force budget’ for TVP, is able to appoint a new PA, Matthew Barber, on an exorbitant salary, but is again unable to find the funds to protect the public.

With rising reported crime rates, falling numbers of criminal cases being brought to the courts for justice and victims of crime being advised to search their area for their own stolen property, is appointing another parasitic bureaucrat a proper way for our PCC to spend taxpayers’ money in a time of austerity?

Which would the public prefer, Mr Barber or a trained police dog handler to investigate their crime? What is Mr Stansfeld’s priority, his own bloated empire or safeguarding the public?

MARTIN RUSSELL

Cedar Road, Botley