Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to issues raised by Mr Ken Robson in a recent letter to the Newton News.
He is correct to say that the number of Police Officers in County Durham and Darlington has reduced over the past few years. The Government has reduced my budget by £20.4m and I cannot fund more officers than I can afford. I have, however, worked closely with the Chief Constable to ensure that our police force is as effective and efficient as possible, and I am pleased to note that crime in the force area has fallen over the past few years. Anti-social behaviour has also fallen, with Newton Aycliffe seeing a reduction of 9% since December 2014.
As Mr Robson points out, cannabis remains an illegal drug. Durham Constabulary will continue to treat it as such.  I remain of the view that for some small-scale users of Class B drugs such as cannabis, the Police should use their discretion to decide whether or not to prosecute individuals or to refer them to appropriate support services to help them stop using drugs. When this happens successfully, drug users are less likely to get involved in other crimes.
Your readers may have seen that, according to the results of recent assessments by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Durham is currently the best Police Force in the country. This reflects the dedication and high standards of our local police force.
Yours sincerely,
Ron Hogg
Police and Crime Commissioner