Police seek Poles’ advice

Scottish police are seeking advice from counterparts in Poland to help improve links with migrant communities.

Law enforcement agencies in Warsaw could help police deal with everything from crime to missing person inquiries. Official figures from the General Register Office for Scotland show there were 85,000 Polish nationals living in this country in 2013.

Thousands have made areas in the north and north-east of Scotland their home since Poland joined the European Union in 2004.

Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said: “We are in very early discussions with the Polish police about the possibility of them sharing their skills and expertise with us which will assist in the day-today dealings with the large Polish community in Scotland. We look forward

“It is an interesting exercise and very useful”

to developing this relationship.”

The news was welcomed by Zosia Wierz-bowicz-Fraser of the Inverness Polish Association. “As far as getting closer to the Polish community, it is a very good idea as it is important they realise the value of the police force and what they do to make communities safer.

“It is an interesting exercise and very useful from the point of view of Scottish police because they will get to know a little bit more about what goes on in a Polish head and how they react to different situations.”

Scottish Tory chief whip John Lamont said any move to reduce crime was “worth considering”. “There is a vast Polish community and while the majority of them are hardworking and law-abiding, the sheer number means there is going to be the occasional problem.”