Dear All
I am fully behind the idea of a single national Police force; it is long over due and will protect rank and file members on the front line.
The Scottish Prison Service, the UK Border Agency, Health and Safety, British Transport Police, HM Revenue and Customs are all national agencies.
It seems that rank and file members of the Police don’t quite understand what the National Police Force is all about.
In part it is about keeping them in a job.
Or plan B, we keep things as they are and start sacking people.
Is anyone stupid enough to want to sign up for plan B in the current economy climate?
So, the National Police Force is going ahead.
I formally proposed this measure at the SNP National Assembly on the 4th September 2010, two months later the Labour Party and Iain Gray climbed on board.
The SNP’s Alex Salmond and Labour’s Iain Gray, are due to attend the Scottish Police Federation’s annual conference in Aviemore, where a motion will be proposed calling for all-out opposition to plans to replace Scotland’s eight forces with one.
And that should be the venue to spell out in detail what the advantages are including the employment issue.
It is time mini empires were abolished.
Any officer doesn’t want to go along with the proposals the door to seek employment elsewhere is open.
If the motion against is passed by the Police federation’s most powerful branch, Strathclyde, they will be like turkeys voting for xmas.
All the issues concern the new force will be addressed, this isn’t change for the sake of it; it is a step forward into the 21st Century instead of parking themselves in the 19th.
A concern by the Police is that the problem is it has never been properly discussed, simple answer ask questions.
Stephen House, chief constable of Strathclyde Police, is one of the main supporters of a national force having taken time out from polishing his Audi A6.
He joined the debate a bit late.
As to the disquiet exists about a single force among rank-and-file officers in some of the smaller constabularies, including Northern and Dumfries and Galloway, there will be built in localism so that people on the ground still make decisions in the best interests of their area.
Their motion states:
“One police force in Scotland will lose local autonomy, shall centralise power and will give any government the political control of its chief constable.”
Bullshit.
I see several layers local, national and Scottish Government which will act as a balance to ensure the Chief Constable is held in check.
It won’t be a one man band or allowed to develop as such.
Everyone whether they are a constable or Chief Constable will get an opportunity to get their input in to make this work.
In a side note on policing, senior police officers, including chief constables have openly attacked one of Labour’s flagship policies.
The knife crime con!
This is the phoney pledge to jail for at least six months all those caught carrying a knife.
It is unworkable, anti fair trial and anti human rights.
It is a gimmick that the Labour Party uses to spread fear and alarm in order to gain votes.
Dishonest politics at its worst when you consider they use victims of knife crime and their families to front this knowing its PR electioneering bullshit.
The Scottish Prison Officers’ Association have also rightly criticised the Labour proposals in yesterday’s Herald because they know this is nothing to do with justice and providing a safer Scotland.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
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