The merger of our eight police forces into a single Police Service of Scotland has the potential not only to reduce cost but also to be more accountable to local communities with a commander for each council area answerable to a committee appointed by the local authority.
The merger of our eight police forces into a single Police Service of Scotland has the potential not only to reduce cost but also to be more accountable to local communities with a commander for each council area answerable to a committee appointed by the local authority.
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The matter of how effectively the new force and its chief constable will be held to account is less clear. The proposal in the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill, now going through the Scottish Parliament, is for the new national force to be overseen by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA). Its members will no doubt be chosen to represent the wider community geographically and demographically, taking relevant experience into account. But, because they will be appointed by the Justice Secretary, there is a danger they will not be fully independent. Scotland's Auditor General has identified this as a democratic deficit and police officers at every level have also raised concerns.
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A single police force that is transparent and accountable
The merger of our eight police forces into a single Police Service of Scotland has the potential not only to reduce cost but also to be more accountable to local communities with a commander for each council area answerable to a committee appointed by the local authority.
The matter of how effectively the new force and its chief constable will be held to account is less clear. The proposal in the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill, now going through the Scottish Parliament, is for the new national force to be overseen by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA). Its members will no doubt be chosen to represent the wider community geographically and demographically, taking relevant experience into account. But, because they will be appointed by the Justice Secretary, there is a danger they will not be fully independent. Scotland's Auditor General has identified this as a democratic deficit and police officers at every level have also raised concerns.
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We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.
Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.
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