Critics say wardens plan is policing on the cheap

PLANS to recruit 400 wardens to patrol communities across Scotland were attacked yesterday by police and opposition politicians.

The new posts, which will cost 30 million to recruit and train for, are a key part of the Scottish Executive’s drive to tackle anti-social behaviour.

However, the Scottish Police Federation said they would rather the money was spent on recruiting more police.

And both the Tories and the SNP rubbished the proposals, describing it as "policing on the cheap".

Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP’s justice spokeswoman, said: "Anti-social behaviour is a real problem, but people living with it want solutions, not substitutes for solutions. I don’t doubt that community wardens have a role to play, but that should not be as a substitute for police."

Annabel Goldie, the justice spokeswoman for the Tories, added: "I do not dispute that wardens could be useful as eyes and ears in dealing with local issues.

"However, the question that has to be asked is why can’t the police bid for this money to put more community police officers on our streets - real police with real powers."

A spokesman for the Scottish Police Federation added: "We would have preferred the money to be spent on employing police officers."

The federation said the only way to tackle anti-social behaviour was "to get more police officers on the street, build better and closer relationships with the public and re-establish respect for authority".

However, Margaret Curran, the communities minister, insisted the new wardens would tackle anti-social behaviour "head on".

"Everyone in Scotland has a right to expect that if anti-social behaviour is making their lives a misery it will be tackled with the same energy, commitment and priority wherever it occurs," she said.

"This is part of a wider strategy that emphasises a graduated approach to tackling anti-social behaviour, acknowledges that a joined-up multi-agency approach is crucial, and confirms that communities have to be involved in devising solutions."

The 30 million anti-social behaviour funding will be shared out between 32 local authorities over the next two years, with 20 million reserved for warden-related initiatives.