MINISTERS MUST GET A GRIP NOW

THIS is a terribly sad and agonising loss of an elderly grandmother and my sympathies are with Janet McKay’s family and friends.

The commitment of the police officers taking part in the search is not in question, but the case for a wider examination of operations within the force is now overwhelming.

Police Scotland seems to have lurched from crisis to crisis over the past two years. Officers and civilian staff have been under extraordinary pressure since the centralisation of services, the introduction of oppressive top-down targets and the closure of control rooms. Unless we have a long, hard look at the pressures rank and file officers are experiencing, it is difficult to see how the major challenges our police force is facing can be addressed. Unless we know what the problems are, we cannot fix them.

We have seen armed officers on the beat. There have been reports Police Scotland spied on journalists. There has been controversy over stop and search. Police stations have locked their doors to the public and we had the tragic events on the M9.

There comes a point where this is no longer a series of isolated incidents, but evidence of a trend. We are long past this point. Police Scotland’s leadership, SNP ministers and the Scot- tish Police Authority must get a grip if they are to ensure the force retains the public’s trust and confidence.

I have no doubt those involved in the operation to find Mrs McKay gave it their all. This is reflected in the tributes paid by her family yesterday. We have a duty of care to the police officers and civilian staff involved, as they will be distraught by this too.