Scott: More Support Needed for Policing Wildlife Crime

Having received an answer from the Environment Minister regarding Wildlife Crime, John Scott MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment said:

"Given the disturbing increase in wildlife crimes such as deer poaching and raptor poisoning it is time for police forces to do more to stamp out these abhorrent practices. While I understand how overstretched our police forces are, more needs to be done across Scotland to ensure that wildlife crime officers are properly supported by local police forces.

"In addition, perhaps more effort should be made to recruit Special Constables in the more remote areas, where police response times are often regrettably, if understandably, slow.

"The police are, and must remain, the enforcement agency whose absolute independence and training make them the most appropriate people to deal with wildlife crime".

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): The minister is aware that evidence that the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee has received suggests that SSPCA inspectors should be given additional powers to pursue those who are responsible for wildlife crime. Does she agree that, before that suggestion is considered further, all efforts should be made to ensure that every police force in Scotland has at least one dedicated wildlife crime officer and that redeployment within forces should be considered, as should recruiting more special constables to support our overstretched police force? The police are and must remain the enforcement agency; their absolute independence and training make them the most appropriate people to pursue those who commit wildlife crime.

Roseanna Cunningham: The role of the police in investigating any crime remains central. Even supposing that there were extensions to the SSPCA's powers in future, that would not remove from the police their primary role. Currently, all eight police forces have a wildlife crime co-ordinator, although not all have full-time posts. All forces also have a full or part-time wildlife crime officer, although I am aware that, in some police forces, there may be a question mark over some of those posts. Operational policing matters are not my responsibility and I cannot direct police forces to do or say anything or act in certain ways. However, the Government expects all Scotland's police forces to investigate all crime to the best of their ability and resources, which I anticipate will continue to happen in future.

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