The lead article in the Borehamwood Times, April 20, encouraged me to attend the Public Meeting organised by the Police Community Partnership in Fairway Hall on July 12.

According to the article, Hertsmere Borough Council is planning to conduct a survey to ascertain whether residents would be prepared to pay extra council tax for additional policing.

I wanted to know what the police thought of this idea, how could they provide the extra staffing when, as it has been reported, there are recruitment difficulties, how could the residents be sure they were getting the extra policing in return for the extra council tax and what would happen if residents did not notice any difference and no longer wanted to pay the extra tax.

The Chair was able to answer only one of my questions by saying that any extra policing would have to be done by overtime payments!

It was reported by a police officer that this scheme has only been tried out in one area, Corby, and was abandoned after only on year!

At the meeting, Philip Winter, Hertsmere's Special Projects Manager, reported that 8,000 households in Hertsmere would be consulted.

This seems to me to be a very small sample considering that the number of households in Hertsmere is more than 38,000.

When I asked why such a small sample, I was told it would be too costly to consult every householder.

As this is such a completely unusual proposal, I believe every household in Hertsmere should be consulted, not a selected few.

If residents are to be asked to pay extra council tax on top of what was already agreed with the Police Authority, then all householders should be given the chance of expressing their opinion.

There is a County Council Election next May, if a referendum was held on that day, costs would be greatly reduced.

Moreover, if the council is only approaching 8,000 residents, how will they be chosen? Will they be council tax payers equally selected from each part of the borough? If there should be a majority against the idea in one part of the borough, will those council tax payers be relieved of the payment?

Yesterday in Parliament (July 12), the Prime Minister announced that additional funds would be made available to Police Authorities specifically so that they can put more police on the beat.

This surely would be the best way rather than one council in Hertfordshire being expected to pay extra council tax.

My concern about this idea is that it neither seemed to have come from the police, nor was it a joint proposal between the Hertfordshire Police Authority and Hertsmere Borough Council, in fact, I got the distinct impression at the meeting that the police were uneasy about it.

Speaking personally, I believe that council tax payers in Hertsmere are already paying sufficient amounts, £67.99 in band D, to the Hertfordshire Police Authority and if I am chosen as one of the select 8,000 I shall most definitely vote against it.

Eileen Stanley

Furzehill Road, Borehamwood.