Hired to fight crime

WHAT do you want from our national police force? It might seem a silly question. Surely what we all want is a service that upholds the law, protects citizens, and brings criminals to book.

It doesn’t have to be any more complicated, does it? Unless, that is, you are a member of the Scottish Police Authority which, in advertising for two new deputy chief constables to run Police Scotland, has made things very complicated indeed.

A 20-page information pack, dripping with jargon, talks about ‘adopting emotionally intelligent behaviours’ and ‘understanding our thoughts’, whereas members of the public might prefer a focus on what the candidates might be expected to bring to the party when it comes to the not inconsiderable matter of crime. In fact, the word ‘crime’ appears only once in the document candidates are asked to study.

Since its establishment, Police Scotland has lurched from crisis to crisis. At the heart of this instability have been problems with leadership. So it is understandable that those seeking to fill these two vacant senior posts should wish to be as thorough as they possibly can.

But we wonder if the police authority has got its priorities right. Members of the public want to see the appointment of two first-class crime-fighters – not a pair of self-help gurus.