Cops primed for COP26
THOUSANDS of officers will receive public order training in the run-up to the COP26 summit in Glasgow, Police Scotland has said.
Specialist training is being given to officers ahead of the international conference in November.
About 10,000 officers from around the UK will be deployed each day of the summit, making it one of the largest policing operations ever undertaken in Britain. During August and September, roughly 2,500 public order officers in Police Scotland will come forward for training.
Police Scotland says it will take a human rights-based approach to policing any demonstrations.
Leaders from around the world will gather in Glasgow to discuss tackling climate change.
A senior officer said the force was already engaging with protest groups to allow peaceful demonstrations.
Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr said: “Police Scotland is a rights-based organisation that puts our values of integrity, fairness, respect and a commitment to upholding human rights at the heart of everything we do.
“This means that we will protect the rights of people who wish to peacefully protest or counter-protest at COP26.
“We will provide a proportionate policing response to any protests and are already engaging with known protest groups to ensure their rights to peaceful assembly and protest are met.
“At the same time, those wishing to protest have a responsibility to do so within the law and I would remind the small minority of people who may be intent on violent disorder or causing damage that we will deal with them swiftly and robustly.
“Part of our open approach to our plans has also involved bringing a number of elected representatives and other interested parties to our training sessions so that they can see first-hand how we embed human rights considerations in our training and planning.”