Just last week rank and file police officers rejected the SNP, Labour and Conservative plans to create a national police force.

I agree with the police officers. The plans to scrap our local police forces will cost £92million and it has been estimated, could cut 3,000 front line police officers – we cannot afford this proposal.

At a time when we need to save money, this proposal doesn’t make sense. The Scottish Liberal Democrats want to help the local police and people work together to cut crime. However, under the plans supported by Labour, the SNP and Conservatives every police officer would be allocated according to national directions not local policing need. That could mean your local police seeing dozens of officers sent to support other areas hundreds of miles away.

I’m concerned that by creating a single national police force, the chief constable will come under the political control of a government minister who will tell them what to do and will lose their links with local communities.

For 150 years people in this democracy have worried about the government gaining political operational control over policing. We need a police service that is responsive to local needs not one which is subject to central diktat and centrally imposed targets.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats want to keep policing local, help the local police to work with the local community and to keep the number of officers high.

For more information check out the campaign on Facebook.

 

Can I urge constituents with any information that might assist the Police with their investigation to contact Maryhill Police or Crimestoppers in confidence at the numbers below.   

Shots Fired At House – Maryhill 

Strathclyde Police is continuing enquiries and appealing for information after a firearm was discharged at a house in Maryhill on Sunday 30 January 2011.  

Around 0355 hours on Sunday morning, police were called to a report of a firearm having been discharged at a window of a house in Rothes Drive, Maryhill. 

Officers attended and quickly established that no one had been injured, however, the property had been damaged as a result of the shots fired. 

Appeal for witnesses 

Detective Sergeant John Semple at Maryhill Police Office is appealing for witnesses. He said today: “Thankfully the residents of this property were asleep at the time and nobody was injured. However, the people responsible for this reckless act obviously have no regard for anyone’s wellbeing and it is vital that we trace them. 

“We are carrying out a thorough investigation into the circumstances, and would appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time and may have any information at all which might help us with our enquiries to come forward.” 

He added:  

“We are confident that someone within the local community knows who may be responsible. Even if you don’t want to speak to police, please do the right thing and call CRIMESTOPPERS – you won’t need to leave any personal details.” 

Anyone with information is asked to contact officers at Maryhill Police office on 0141 532 3700. Alternatively CRIMESTOPPERS can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained. 

Ending the week on a positive story, though one constituents should not have faced. Yesterday I was contacted by parents at Summerston Child Care which is based within Bellcraig Community Centre which is managed by Glasgow Life (formerly Glasgow Culture and Sport). Earlier this year a fight between a group of young adults, involving knives, a machete and a hammer, spilled into the Centre. All too easily these people could have walked straight into the nursery as there was no security system to stop them. Fortunately, though not for staff, the fight stayed in the main reception.

Strathclyde Police subsequently carried out a full safety assessment at the Centre which resulted in the installation of a controlled entry system to the nursery area. Yesterday parents and staff at Summerston Child Care were told that Glasgow Life’s Health & Safety Officer had instructed that the system be removed as a Health & Safety issue. Yes, the same organisation that runs the Centre, and installed the security system, had now removed it.

Needless to say parents quickly contacted their Councillors to voice their concerns and I contacted Glasgow Life who advised that as the system wasn’t hard wired into the fire alarm system it posed an unacceptable risk to users of the Centre. Now you might think that Glasgow Life should have thought of this before they installed it, however to add insult to injury they then raised the prospect that Summerston Child Care might have to pay for any new system!

After several e-mails and phone calls, commonsense seems to have prevailed and Glasgow Life promise me that the original system will now be reinstalled on Monday morning, following this Glasgow Life will now review all of the recommendations in the original Police report and agree an action plan with the users of the Centre. Parents are obviously relieved by the news and hopefully Glasgow Life have taken some lessons on board.