Major force

Over the past few weeks I have read several complaints about suggested police reorganisation within Scotland. I recall the very same consternation was evident among my colleagues when the City of Glasgow Police became Strathclyde in 1975.

The Chief Constable at that time was David McNee (later Sir David) who became Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in 1977. At present the total number of police in Strathclyde exceed 8,000 while the other seven Scottish constabularies combined have a force of approximately 8,600 officers.

It is not surprising that Chief Constable Stephen House (Strathclyde) is of the opinion that a national police force for Scotland would be better equipped and ready to deal with any major incidents.

Smaller individual forces would be unable to respond to any such large scale emergencies. Suggestions that a single police force would centralise resources towards the Central Belt are nothing but hypothetical scaremongering. A single Scottish force would be more robust and would indeed respond quicker and with the necessary expertise.

Furthermore, those delegated at present to office administration in all the constabularies could find themselves doing more rewarding community work, in schools for example.

Donald J Morrison

Haig Street

Portknockie, Buckie