Wishart raises rural police practices in Parliament

Speaking tens years on from the Police Scotland merger, Scottish Liberal Democrat and Shetland MSP, Beatrice Wishart, has raised rural police practices with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Keith Brown MSP.

Wishart questioned whether changes to “tried and tested local policing” meant “a distancing of law enforcers and those who they protect and serve.”

Responding, the Cabinet Secretary stated that the police had welcomed changes and accepted the high costs associated with the merger of the previous eight local police forces.

Speaking in Parliament, Ms Wishart asked the Cabinet Secretary:

“I would like to associate my party with the comments made in tribute to Sir Iain Livingstone as he retires.

“There is a sense in some rural and islands areas that centralisation of Scottish police services has meant a loss of tried and tested local policing with the imposition of city style policing, such as that seen recently during Lerwick’s fire festival.

“What works in the central belt doesn’t necessarily work in island communities.

“So, is the legacy ten years on from the formation of Police Scotland not simply millions spent in a merger, but a distancing of law enforcers and those whom they protect and serve?”

After the exchange, Ms Wishart said:

“Policing must be responsive to community needs and one size does not fit all.

“I welcome the Cabinet Secretary’s offer to relay my points to the police service.

“I hope that localism in the police service will continue to be a guiding principle.

“The police service should be appropriately resourced to respond to the needs of the communities it serves.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats continue to press the Scottish Government to better resource local community policing.”