New Police service local accountability provisions ‘totally inadequate’

The Scottish Government has published the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill, which will set up new national police and fire services. Accordingly, it will abolish local police boards and replace them with meetings between local Councillors and Police Commanders.

Scottish Conservative Justice Spokesman, David McLetchie MSP said:

"The accountability arrangements in this Bill are totally inadequate. At a local level instead of having police boards with power to oversee or scrutinise their local forces we will have talking shop committees.

"This is not good enough. We believe that in order to implement real accountability we should have elected local Police Commissioners responsible for overseeing the delivery and performance of the Police Service in their area.

"The Commissioners would also provide a vital link with local communities, involving local residents, listening to their views and engaging their help in making Scotland safer.

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