Lack of rural policing experience at top of single police force a concern – McArthur

Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, has expressed his concern at the announcement that the four new deputy chief constables of the Scottish Police Force all come from either the Central Belt or London.

Mr McArthur said: “I imagine constituents will be concerned to learn that under the single police force, there will be nobody at the top with experience of rural policing.  It seems that this centralised force will lose all the local knowledge and experience, to be replaced by Central Belt priorities.

“While the new deputy chief constables all seem well qualified, it is worrying that they are drawn solely from Strathclyde, Lothian and Borders, and the Met.  When the Police and Fire Reform Act was rushed through Parliament last year, I voted against the Bill because I believe a centralised force is ill-placed to respond to the particular needs of rural and remote areas.  These appointments do little to persuade me otherwise.”