Dear All
George Laird is a supporter of a new single National Police Force for Scotland.
I proposed this officially to my party’s national assembly in September 2010.
Two months later ‘East Coast Weasel’ Labour MSP Iain Gray and the Labour Party was backing it.
2 and a half months after Gray got off the fence, the Scottish Government came out in favour although they are currently holding a consultation on the issue to gather view points of stakeholders.
But in the end the case is overwhelming.
Ministers believe a single police force for Scotland could save almost £200 million, and with cuts coming down the line, front line services must be protected.
Reform of the Police Service isn’t just about money; a new national force will be better developed to operate on both a strategically national and locally.
Done right the new organisation will flourish. Resources will be better targeted and there will be no asset stripping, a fear of people in out lying areas.
But Police reform isn’t enough; the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency should be transferred lock, stock and barrel in the new national Police force.
It is time to end fiefdoms.
The new proposal has engendered fear.
Chief Constable David Strang of Lothian and Borders Police has warned that the projected saving was "dangerous" and would cut police officers "by several thousand".
Fear and scaremongering!A new consultation on police forces insists the £197m-a-year saving is achievable.
And this should keep front line services protected from cuts.
A government document, A Consultation on the Future of Policing in Scotland, also reveals a single blue-light service for the whole of Scotland was considered.
But lets be serious, this is nonsense and a complete nonstarter.
Merging police with fire and ambulance would never work, Police must be stand alone because of the nature of their work.
The Scottish Government has already come out in favour of a single service despite the consultation options.
However, the consultation itself has already come in for criticism.
Martin Greig, convener of Grampian Joint Police Board, said:
"No case has been made for undertaking this consultation. It talks about a financial need to change structures, this is about centralising power."
In Scotland there are several organisations which function on a national basis, the Scottish Prison Service, British Transport Police and UK Border Agency.
Is anyone making a case of breaking these up?
No, because people aren’t that stupid.
What is the objection?
People want to protect the status quo in order to protect their own personal financial situation.
Yes, money talks.
A single national Police Force is the future and we shouldn’t let fear get in the way of progress.
If you aren’t backing a single Police Force you have no business staking claim to be the government of Scotland.
We don’t need 'clerks' or 'managers', but political leaders looking forward 5 and 10 years into the future.
George Laird is a supporter of a new single National Police Force for Scotland.
I proposed this officially to my party’s national assembly in September 2010.
Two months later ‘East Coast Weasel’ Labour MSP Iain Gray and the Labour Party was backing it.
2 and a half months after Gray got off the fence, the Scottish Government came out in favour although they are currently holding a consultation on the issue to gather view points of stakeholders.
But in the end the case is overwhelming.
Ministers believe a single police force for Scotland could save almost £200 million, and with cuts coming down the line, front line services must be protected.
Reform of the Police Service isn’t just about money; a new national force will be better developed to operate on both a strategically national and locally.
Done right the new organisation will flourish. Resources will be better targeted and there will be no asset stripping, a fear of people in out lying areas.
But Police reform isn’t enough; the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency should be transferred lock, stock and barrel in the new national Police force.
It is time to end fiefdoms.
The new proposal has engendered fear.
Chief Constable David Strang of Lothian and Borders Police has warned that the projected saving was "dangerous" and would cut police officers "by several thousand".
Fear and scaremongering!A new consultation on police forces insists the £197m-a-year saving is achievable.
And this should keep front line services protected from cuts.
A government document, A Consultation on the Future of Policing in Scotland, also reveals a single blue-light service for the whole of Scotland was considered.
But lets be serious, this is nonsense and a complete nonstarter.
Merging police with fire and ambulance would never work, Police must be stand alone because of the nature of their work.
The Scottish Government has already come out in favour of a single service despite the consultation options.
However, the consultation itself has already come in for criticism.
Martin Greig, convener of Grampian Joint Police Board, said:
"No case has been made for undertaking this consultation. It talks about a financial need to change structures, this is about centralising power."
In Scotland there are several organisations which function on a national basis, the Scottish Prison Service, British Transport Police and UK Border Agency.
Is anyone making a case of breaking these up?
No, because people aren’t that stupid.
What is the objection?
People want to protect the status quo in order to protect their own personal financial situation.
Yes, money talks.
A single national Police Force is the future and we shouldn’t let fear get in the way of progress.
If you aren’t backing a single Police Force you have no business staking claim to be the government of Scotland.
We don’t need 'clerks' or 'managers', but political leaders looking forward 5 and 10 years into the future.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
3 comments:
George
I agree with a single police force for Scotland the saving money element to me is an irrelevance.
every survey and indicator have shone the police to be unanimously pro-Union.
With one monolithic united Union supporting force of officers any attempt for the forces of nationalism to break the sacred Union the Police can and will be relied upon.
To hold to their oath of allegiance to the the Crown and crush the Nationalists if called upon to do so.
Dear Mxyzptlk
Iain Gray was two months behind me, when I offically put the idea at my party's national assembley.
4 and a half months later, the Scottish Government adopted the same position.
No one wrote to me to say thanks!
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
Well at least the pretence of one force invetigating another force's officers in the commission of the many crimes committed by police will go. It is more important for an independent commissioner to be set up to invetigate police crime and corruption than a national force. Only 3% of complaints upheld with less than .50% of officers getting any real sanctions. And no government disscussion on this issue.
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