It is time to decentralise our police management structure
FOLLOWING the deaths of Lamara Bell and John Yuill, our first thoughts should with their families and friends. It is right that there should be a review of the police call-centre procedures to try to ensure that such a situation does not arise again (“Review of police calls as second crash victim dies”, The Herald, July 13). However, I would suggest that what is needed is not just a review of “call handling” but a more far-reaching review of police management structures in light of the apparent culture of bullying and stress mentioned by Graeme Pearson in his Agenda contribution (“Police more concerned about the message than serving the public”, The Herald, July 13).
Perhaps what should also be reviewed is a possible overlycentralised management structure .
Those at the top should concentrate on developing policy, leaving it to area commanders (with delegated budget responsibilities) to recover local policing, sensitive to local needs, which might help in providing the public with the kind of service they deserve and give the police officers on the front line more encouragement and support in carrying out their duties. Ron Lavalette, 69 Whitlees Court, Ardrossan. RUNNING a country is no easy matter. Responding to diverse and complex needs across health, education and emergency services is incredibly demanding. Sadly, the evidence suggests this Scottish Government is not up to the task.
Failed NHS Scotland targets are now the norm. In education results show poor attainment across those who need it most. And now the emergency services are letting people down.
The SNP Government’s continual grievances about lack of powers ring hollow when they are making such a mess of those they already have. Perhaps it is time for the SNP Government’s priority to shift from what we do not need – more constitutional change – to those things that really make a difference to the everyday lives of the people of Scotland. Keith Howell, White Moss, West Linton, Peeblesshire. SO now we have a biopsy of the competence of Police Scotland to add to the shambles of NHS Scotland and education. I am opposed to the SNP but not for reasons remotely political. The key issues are not power and money, as Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon believe, but the pragmatic issues of honesty and competence.
Scotland is sorely afflicted at present, from within rather than from without. William Durward, 20 South Erskine Park, Bearsden.