COP26: Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie thanks officers and staff for their efforts to support COP26
ACC Ritchie said: “It's fair to say COP26 wouldn't be progressing in the largely positive manner it is without the efforts of thousands of police officers and staff, who've come together from across the United Kingdom in one of the biggest policing operations any of us can remember”.
He wrote about the mutual aid needed to pull off the climate change conference, and said: “Even as the UK's second largest police service, we still needed help, so Mutual Aid requests were made to 44 police forces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as the Ministry of Defence Police and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.“Our ask was for officers with specific skillsets, such as public order, search and firearms, to come to Scotland and supplement our local and national resources. Our colleagues have responded admirably, and we welcomed officers and staff - plus their vehicles, horses and dogs - from across the British Isles".
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He expressed gratitude to officers from other areas in Scotland, who relocated to the West for the duration of COP26, and said: “we do not underestimate the sacrifices they have made in leaving their homes and families for a significant period of time”. He also thanked officers and staff who remained in their local communities.
In his statement, ACC Ritchie also addressed a protest that happened on St Vincent Street in Glasgow earlier today. The protesters, who were believed to be from Extinction Rebellion, blocked the street by sitting in the middle of it, in a rubber dinghy filled with blood.
Video clips shared on social media show spray paint on the nearby Santander's building, which reads: "Protect Amazon" and "Blood Money".
He confirmed that two people were arrested in connection with a lock-on device, while one person was arrested concerning an alleged vandalism.
Richie also addressed how the police dealt with the situation, and said: “it was necessary for officers to use cutting equipment to remove individuals who had attached themselves to lock-on devices.
“Due to the equipment used, it was necessary to create a sterile area for the safety of the protesters, that of the wider public and the officers dealing with the protesters”.
Ritchie added: “We are enormously appreciative of how willing people have been to hold open and frank discussions with us and of the consideration which has been shown to the people of Glasgow - and beyond - who have faced upheaval as their daily routines have been disrupted as a result of the conference”.
“As a rights-based organisation, we will protect the rights of people who wish to peacefully protest and will balance this against the rights of the wider community. We want to understand the experiences of the public and listen to your views about the way we police events in Scotland. If you have attended a protest or event, if you live near to where events take place, we want to hear what you think about our approach to keeping people safe. You can have your say via a survey on our website."