Councillor Graeme Smith berates ‘limp-wristed’ response
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A SINGLE Scottish police force must continue to make local policing one of its top priorities.
That was the view of Wick councillor Graeme Smith who said the Northern Joint Police Board which is represented by members of the Highland Council, allowed itself to be walked over by the Scottish Government as it plans to merge all eight Scottish forces.
The Northern Joint Police Board held a special meeting in Inverness for a consultation on reforming police and fire and rescue services on Wednesday.
Councillors met police chiefs from Northern Constabulary and appealed for reassurance the new force will keep local control.
They also urged any changes to services in the Highlands and the Islands to be made within the region and not from a national headquarters.
Mr Smith was disappointed by how they agreed with the Government’s measures but is hopeful councillors’ views will be taken on board.
“I am disappointed that our original response to the consultation of single policing was so limp-wristed that they were able to walk all over us and ignore our views,” he told the John O’Groat Journal.
“But I am pleased that at the meeting we were making a bit of a fight of it, trying to at least retain some accountability to local policing.
“But I fear that what we have put in a response will be ignored by a government in Holyrood that is becoming more and more centralist and less willing to consider communities at a local level.”
Mr Smith said the majority of his colleagues feel they gave up the fight to maintain eight regional police forces in Scotland. He said it is now important to maintain autonomy and keep community response as local as possible.
“We want local policing and as much local accountability as possible with the new police board being structured in such a way that gives maximum transparency,” he said.
“Personally, I still feel that regional policing is an issue which is worth fighting for and I feel no questions are truly settled until they are settled correctly.
“The whole idea behind a single Scottish police force is that we are one Scotland, one community and to hell with the Scotch broth, we are now one cream of mushroom.
“This is the wrong way to organise policing in Scotland. A single police force can easily become a police state and I want to avoid that.”
Thurso councillor Donnie Mackay said the plan is the wrong move for the country and said it is important that decision-making is not taken out of the Highlands altogether.
“The local was taken out of local government a long time ago,” he said. “Everything is starting to become more centralised, which includes the police and fire board which now meets in Inverness.
“I think that the board managed to get the points of view across to police chiefs. It remains to be seen if this will have any effect, but all we can ask for is that our views are taken into consideration.
“But once they make their final decision, that is the one we will have to go along with. I don’t think this is the way to go about it, but there is nothing we can do but hope that local accountability is maintained.”
