POLICE Community Support Officers, mentioned by R Johnson (Letters, December 5), are valuable in doing what the name suggests, extending the role of the police beyond the numbers of police that the community is able, or willing, to actually pay for.

They help to investigate burglaries and other crimes and can stay advising, comforting or reassuring victims for longer than the police, understandably, ever had time for.

Also, they deal with ‘minor’ traffic offences not covered by specific regulations, such as unnecessary or unreasonable obstruction, avoidable unskilled driving or cycling on pavements.

I would prefer that neither they nor the ‘real’ police carried arms.

Jim Whitehead, Belmont Road, Chesham.