Motion on personal safety of councillors agreed upon

The local authority, today, agreed upon a motion to recognise and address the personal risks and challenges faced by councillors and pledges to undertake personal safety audits after the forthcoming elections.

The Highland Council agreed the motion by Cllr Pippa Hadley and Cllr Bill Lobban which states:

“This council recognises we live in rapidly changing times, with ever increasing challenges shaping the roles councillors have, along with the challenges that are faced in performing this role. There is an increasing awareness of the inherent personal risk that is attached to a public position, but there has been little ongoing discussion on how this risk presents and how it can be minimised considering existing and emerging threats.

“As a council we perform best when we have a broad and diverse representation elected to position, and with recognition of the need to ensure that the role is open to a broad a range of candidates for this role as possible to achieve this fair balance, resolves to address the personal safety issue on a timescale of delivery to work with the election of new members this coming May.

“Following the elections, council pledges to undertake a personal safety audit, with regard to the personal safety of the new elected members, and to taking an individual based approach to supporting/achieving this in a practical fashion – alongside delivery of an educational council-wide programme giving information, practical advice and current best practice in both preventing and dealing with threat, plus to ensure a working communication system is in place and is connected to Police Scotland’s current system of high profile/vulnerable persons alert.”