A PRIVATE security firm which is to patrol Blackburn housing estates plagued by burglars and vandals claims it has had an encouraging response.

This comes as no surprise at a time when many people believe that all the odds are in favour of the vandal and the burglar.

They see their property trashed or broken into, but rarely have the satisfaction of watching the culprits standing in a court dock.

So, who can blame them for accepting a private company's offer to keep an eye on their property for as little as £1.50 a week?

We have said before that the public wants positive policing.

They want the comfort of seeing police officers on the beat and frequent patrols keeping an eye on areas prone to anti-social behaviour.

But the harsh fact is, we do not have enough policemen. And that is not the fault of the police.

Chief constables throughout the land frequently plead with the government for more men and women to combat the crime wave which has exploded during the last few years.

At worst they are told there are no funds for extra personnel. And at best they get a fraction of the number they have requested.

All this leaves the public feeling vulnerable.

People who live on crime-ridden estates can be forgiven for thinking the criminal classes are laughing at the forces of law and order.

And while the government refuses to fund extra policing, more and more private security firms will move in to fill the vacuum.

But there has got to be a strong vetting procedure.

The police, never very enthusiastic about companies which they perceive as taking on their role, are right when they urge people tempted to employ private security firms to check them out by asking the right questions.

The boss of the company which is to keep an eye on houses in Blackburn says he has carefully vetted his security guards.

But clients must also be happy about the men who are supposedly guarding their property.

They must be 100 per cent certain that no undesirables are employed by companies which claim to be on their side.

A properly run company could bring a degree of comfort to people plagued by criminals. According to the Blackburn firm, 50 per cent of the people canvassed expressed interest and 30 per cent signed up immediately.

That in itself shows the degree of worry in some areas of the community.

The police are right to be cautious about this trend.

But no one can blame desperate householders for taking on a service which will let them sleep a little easier in their beds.

But the real issue here is the lack of manpower within the police force.

And that is a nettle the government should have grasped long ago.

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