David O#Connor: Policing faces a big change, but for the better

The Police and Fire Reform Bill which will provide the legislative leverage for this is now out for wide consultation.

While there is general acceptance that financial savings need to be made across the public sector, the senior operational police leaders in Scotland have always positively supported police reform and the introduction of a single service. We believe that this is the best way to reduce bureaucracy and duplication of effort, and to preserve police officer numbers.

We have also made it quite clear that there is a need for a balanced workforce within the police service with a sensible blend of police officers and police staff as part of the new model. That said, we cannot support financial savings which damage the effectiveness of local policing.

The new police service in Scotland will focus upon maintaining service delivery and high performance from day one. We look forward to developing new national and local systems which preserve the important elements of openness and accountability.

We also want to see the new service built from the local level. The wide range of specialist services which are currently available must remain, but with greater flexibility in the way they are deployed and managed.

Policing in Scotland is about to undergo the most radical change for almost 40 years. The scale of the challenge facing us cannot be overstated. But nor can it be allowed to divert attention away from the need to continue to provide the best possible support and services to communities from Lerwick to Edinburgh, from Glasgow to Brora.

We are proud of what we have in Scotland, and must retain what makes Scottish policing the envy of many countries around the world. We must not waste this opportunity to improve it further.

• Chief Superintendent David O’Connor is president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents.