House responsible for turning Police Scotland into a laughing stock
AS a retired police officer with 32 years’ service, I have looked on in horror at the abject performance, firstly as Chief Constable of Strathclyde, and then as chief Constable of Police Scotland, of Stephen House (“House quits with vow force will learn from its mistakes”, The Herald, August 28).
Whilst in charge of Strathclyde, he became fixated on figures, and targets for officers appeared more important rather than carrying out their duties in a way that met public expectations. He brought to Strathclyde methods that had been tried and failed in his previous force, the Metropolitan Police. He carried on this thinking into Police Scotland, which he has been responsible for turning into a laughing stock throughout the UK. He has overseen the demoralisation of many dedicated and loyal police officers in Scotland. This is his legacy.
He has politicised the Police Service of Scotland with his cosy relationship with Scottish ministers. He appears to have done as his political masters told him to do. His policies regarding minor road traffic infringements, has earned millions of pounds in fines for local authorities, whilst at the same time criminalising thousands of generally law-abiding citizens.
He is, by a country mile, the worst Chief Officer of Police I have seen in Scotland. I say this with a heavy heart as to convert the eight police forces into one was, and still is, a mammoth task. However he has been found wanting and incapable of carrying out this onerous task. David Hay, Retired detective inspector, 19 Menteith Gardens, Bearsden. THE announcement by Sir Stephen House as to his resignation intentions was not unexpected. However, the manner and suddenness of this action may also prove unhelpful considering the considerable controversy on many high-profile issues which remain outstanding.
His comment at the recent Scottish Police Authority meeting as to “being unable to update” on current issues is unacceptable. It is symptomatic of his “my way” style of governance. In Sir Stephen’s own words there are “lessons to be learnt “.
Hopefully, he will now engage in a frank and full discourse with those who appointed him. Inevitably Sir Stephen’s intended departure has already been predictably mourned by some but probably it will be to the relief and satisfaction of many. Allan C Steele, 22 Forres Avenue, Giffnock. WE the parents of our beloved son Kevin, whose death remains unsolved after being found with serious abdomial injuies in Wick harbour in February, 1997 welcome the news that Sir Stephen House is to shortly resign from his post as Police Scotland’s Chief Constable.
Shortly after Sir Stephen had been appointed we wrote to him on several occasions requesting that he and his new force, Police Scotland, review the circumstances and all the evidence surrounding our sons horrific death, and in particular, why the then Northern Constabulary failed to obey the procurator fiscal’s specific instruction to investigate Kevin’s death as a murder inquiry.
Sir Stephen’s response to a grieving family fighting for justice, was short, abrupt, and disrespectful.
He failed to provide us with any assurance what so ever that any new or significant information received would be rigorously investigated by his new single force set-up, and also refused to instruct his force to undertake any cold case review of the case. This from our most senior police officer who obviously became too big for his boots and is now a victim of his own blind, bullish self-confidence.
Therefore, as far as we are concerned Sir Stephen’s leadership and contribution to the people in Scotland has been nothing of short of a shambles.
Ultimately the Scottish Government must accept responsibility for backing him to the hilt, along with former Justice Secretary Kenny Macaskill. Hugh and June McLeod, 7 Nicolson Street, Wick, Caithness. SIR Stephen House, the Kelvinside Academy and Aberdeen University alumnus with the film-star looks, oversaw the amalgamation of our eight forces into the single Police Scotland.
As a highly successful chief constable of Strathclyde Police, where violent crime was halved, he was the natural choice to lead the new force, though it was clearly a poisoned chalice.
In tribal Scotland, more polarised then at any time since the 1745 rebellion, he was bound to be accused of “Strathclyde-isation” and given no time to bed-in a controversial operation.
I suspect history will be kinder to him than today’s commentators. Rev Dr John Cameron, 10 Howard Place, St Andrews.