The public shouldn’t be ignored

CRIME is a very real problem for many people and the police want the public’s help to crack it.

We should act as their eyes and ears, they tell us.

But what’s the point if, in some cases, they fail to listen?

Today we report on another worrying case involving police call centres.

A woman, feeling unsafe, phoned looking for help.

In that situation you would expect swift action.

Sadly, she got anything but. Officers eventually went to her aid after she had to call them twice more.

By then – of course – the thugs were long gone.

The incident involved the same Bilston Glen contact centre criticised in the wake of the M9 crash.

That tragedy left mum Lamara Bell and her partner John Yuill dead.

In the aftermath, we were told it was an isolated incident and there were no systemic problems.

But our story – and other revelations since – paint a different picture.

If police bosses want the public to have trust in the changes made since Police Scotland came into existence then they must deliver a reliable and consistent service.

It just isn’t good enough to have people, especially those who feel they are at risk, being left in limbo.