Now most police control rooms ‘to be axed’

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said there were plans to shut at least seven of the ten control rooms, including those in Aberdeen, Inverness and Dumfries.

His claim came after it emerged more than 70 police stations are to close their front desks to the public or significantly cut opening hours.

And last week it was revealed that five of Scotland’s eight fire control rooms are to be closed as part of the creation of a single Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Stephen House has said that ten control rooms was “not a sustainable model” for the new single force and the country “would probably need three or four” instead.

Police Scotland board papers say it will “rationalise its service centres and control rooms to enhance service provision and make efficiency savings”.

The recently merged force is seeking about £60 million of cuts from its annual budget of £1.06 billion.

At First Minister’s questions yesterday, Mr Rennie said: “Instead of protecting the fire and police forces, centralisation has led to the asset-stripping of local services – decades of progress wiped away with the stroke of a pen.”

He accused Alex Salmond of trying to avoid responsibility for the cuts. “The claim that this is nothing to do with him is claptrap,” he said.

“He sent his minister, Fergus Ewing, to cut the ribbon and open the fire emergency control room in Aberdeen. Is he planning to send Fergus Ewing back to close the control rooms and police stations, turn off the lights and lock the doors, or will the First Minister step in and put an end to this?”

Police Scotland insisted no final decision had been made on the future of control rooms but admitted the level of service was being reviewed.

A spokesman said: “Police Scotland is reviewing all areas of business including the current operating procedure of our contact centres and control rooms.”

Mr Salmond told MSPs local policing remained the “bedrock” of the system, as he defended the Scottish Government’s record on officer numbers. “What local policing means is having officers available in your community,” he said, and he invited the Lib Dems and Conservatives to consider what the coalition government was doing south of the Border.

He said: “They have taken the decision to drastically cut the numbers of police officers across England and Wales. They have drastically cut the number of police stations. We have taken a decision to have extra police officers in Scotland.”

Holyrood’s justice committee convener Christine Grahame, an SNP MSP, said its sub-committee on policing would devote its next session on 31 October to examining the potential cutbacks.

She said there was “growing local concern” over the closure of police counter services.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said: “Most people visiting a police station do so to report a crime, to request a police officer, to make a complaint, to turn themselves in for arrest or other such matters that are now deemed minor or ancillary.

“I don’t know about the First Minister but I don’t think that reporting a crime is a minor matter. I’m pretty sure that victims of crime don’t think so either. They’re now being told that all needs to happen by email or phone instead.”