The controversial proposals by the head of the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) will be seen in some quarters as equivalent to pouring petrol on the flames of the row over the SNP's manifesto commitment to provide 1000 extra police officers. Before rushing to douse them with cold water, however, all concerned should consider whether David Mulhern's ideas, outlined in The Herald today, have any merit. Not least because they follow comments from the Scottish Police Federation that, as a result of other duties, rest days and sick leave, only 8% of officers are available for operational duty at any time. In that situation, it is inarguable that releasing trained officers from tasks which could be done by civilians would increase significantly the number of police officers on the front line. The debate must be over which tasks must be carried out by police officers and whether door-to-door inquiries and taking statements from witnesses can be satisfactorily carried out by civilians. Using retired police officers, who bring a wealth of experience to such tasks is a positive step; using untrained civilians risks undermining some basic tenets of policing.
The controversial proposals by the head of the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) will be seen in some quarters as equivalent to pouring petrol on the flames of the row over the SNP's manifesto commitment to provide 1000 extra police officers.
