Sir, – Much has been written and spoken about the problems besetting Police Scotland and the ability of Sir Stephen House to head this organisation.
I too have experienced problems in contacting a specific department at West Bell Street, Dundee.
Previously, the contact numbers for all departments within Tayside Police were available in the BT Phonebook.
I recently made and drank a cup of coffee while listening to the ringing tone for at least 20 minutes, with no response.
So in order to seek a human voice I started over again using the voice-recognitionoption.
Eventually I got a human voice but they did not have a clue aboutthe number for the department I wanted.
After five minutes I was put through to a control room in Edinburgh. The lady I spoke to was able to provide a number and also put me through to the department in West Bell Street.
This experience illustrates the volume of knowledge that has been lost through the reduction in the number of police civilian staff.
This is only the thin edge of the wedge I fear. The SNP Scottish Government still want to have their cost-cutting cake and to eat it.
Their naive intention to have all air weapons licensed with a diminishing number of firearms inquiry officers will create a situation where firearms licensing departments will have no chance of issuing renewals prior to the expiry of the current certificate.
This may, therefore, render many holders in breach of the law.
Whose fault is it? Certainly not Chief Constable Sir Stephen House, although he may be guilty of not standing up to Holyrood.
The blame must rest with the ScottishGovernment, who Isuspect may be panicking over their inability to control the country’s finances.
Geoff Bray. 5 Heather Croft, Letham, Forfar.
Erosion of local service levels
Sir, – The mess that is Police Scotland is entirely of the chief constable’s making.
He engineered the amalgamation of the Scottish forces by muttering constantly about duplication.
The result of the changes brought about since the new single force came in to operation is total chaos.
The closure of local control rooms has been rushed through at breakneck speed.
No proper thought was given to the workload the new control room at Bilston Glen would have to cope with and, as a result, it is woefully under resourced.
A further problem is that there is no local knowledge that can be called on in a crisis.
In a recent incident involving a member of my own family, contacting the control room proved very difficult.
Once contact was made it was obvious that the controller had no idea where the incident was. More worryingly he later received a request to call back as the police wished to know if he was all right.
The questions asked in the days of Fife Constabulary were: are you injured, is anyone else injured, how many vehicles are involved, is the road blocked? None of these questions were asked.
In addition, the reference numberprovided proved to be of no use in tracing theincident report.
The operational changes made at beat level have left ruralScotland almost bereft of policing.
Some of the fewofficers left in our local area have foundthemselves carted off to police a football match at Easter Road. Is this really the best way to use police resources?
George Thomson. 44 Viewforth Place, Pittenweem.
Unnecessary improvements
Sir, – Yellow spray-painted arrows and circles appeared out of the blue on my neighbour’s and my land at the bottom of our respective driveways on Friday July 17, which we both agreed was unacceptable and a form of graffiti.
There seems to be an attitude pervading in the local council and utilities that they can use the law to justify ignoring the wishes of local residents irrespective of the impact on their amenity and human rights.
I contacted the officer named as the point of contact in a standard letter received and was informed that a yellow circle indicated a new lighting column was to be installed as part of a replacement project in Shielhill Road inNorthmuir.
This was apparently based on computer software that calculated the spacing, with no regard to the needs of the residents affected.
No approach had been made to either homeowner beforehand and the response to my query as to the very short notice given was that we were only informed as a courtesy, and details of the excavations and exact locations of the new lights would only beprovided on request.
After doing some research, I discovered that these new lights, which I believe to be LED, have proved to be very controversial where they have replaced the current structures.
Many residents felt that they keep them awake at night with the harsh glare.
From a public safety point of view, the old-style columns were regarded as less obtrusive and more effective in deterring housebreakers.
Ronald W. Silverstone. Brusil, Shielhill Road, Northmuir, Kirriemuir.
Poll on EU is hard to believe
Sir, – I have just read an article regarding a suggestion that Scots would vote to stay in the European Union.
How is it I neverget called when these polls are being carried out? I am beginning to believe that my political persuasions are knownto these pollsters, or is it that polling is restricted to the central belt ofScotland?
It is a poor reflection on Scotland thatwe would wish toremain in an organisation more corrupt than Fifa.
George Harcus. 7 Morven Avenue, Montrose.
Sky high cost for watching Open
Sir, – Alex Salmond criticises BBC coverage of the Open and indicates his support for thetakeover by Sky in 2017.
His criticism of the BBC commentators is not remotely justified and smacks of sour grapes.
When Sky take over coverage of the Open in 2017, many pensioners and lower-paid people will miss out on watching as they probably cannot afford pay TV, especially as it would cost anadditional premium to view Sky Sport.
It surprises me that Alex Salmond should support a situation which is contradictory to the SNP support for low-paid workers who might not afford pay TV.
Mev Braid. 15 Kinkell Avenue, Glenrothes.
BBC was a letdown
Sir, The wisdom of transferring coverage of the Open from the BBC to Sky was confirmedby the former’sperformance at St Andrews which was dire.
Having gone home to watch the formerchampions play their four-hole exhibition, I saw 55 minutes of Hazel Irvine wittering and only five minutes of golf.
As I was marshalling at the Open on Monday I relied on a recording, which ended when BBC One switched to the news and put the four-hole play-off on BBC Two.
Once coverage is taken away from the BBC I will miss Peter Alliss and believe Ken Brown is transferring to Sky but I trust the rest will be consigned to outer darkness.
Rev Dr John Cameron. 10 Howard Place, St Andrews.
Labour to blame for pit closures
Sir, – I was interested to read in your archives section that the number of miners in Fife dropped from 10,500 in 1964 to 9,000 in 1965 due to pit closures.
There’s a myth that the Conservatives closed all the pits in Fife.
The reality, which is easy to check, is that the majority closed under Labour governments in the 1960s and 1970s.
Councillor DaveDempsey. Leader, Fife Conservative Group, 7 Carlingnose Park, North Queensferry.
UK planning war by stealth
Sir, – The arrogance of Prime Minister David Cameron in wanting to take the UK into further military action in Syria knows no bounds.
We now know that UK military personnel have already been involved in conducting air strikes in US-led bombing missions, without the approval of Parliament.
Yet just days after this he was determined to push for further action without first providing answers to our current involvement.
The House of Commons rejected bombing in Syria two years ago and the case for undertaking this has simply not been made.
The involvement of British service personnel in bombing without the approval of parliament, therefore, clearly flouts the democratic decision taken by the house.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon led a Commons debate on Syria only this month before which he briefed the media about the likelihood of the UK bombing in Syria in the future, yet he didn’t say a word about UK militarypersonnel already sent into action.
The Government’s policy on this matter is entirely unacceptable, effectively overseeing a bombing campaign by stealth.
Alex Orr, 77 Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh.
Point scoring over pilots’ role
Sir, – Your correspondent John Dorward of Arbroath is right when he says that exchange pilots have served for many years on reciprocal tours with Nato allies (July 22).
Like him, I have met many such people.
However, he is being very naive when he suggests that complaining MPs should have been aware of this.
When did politicians ever let the facts impede the progress of a rolling bandwagon?
Laurie Richards. 100 Crail Road, Cellardyke.
Bring on similar pension review
Sir, – I wish the review body which determined that MPs’ wages should rise by 10.5% to £78,000 would look after old-age pension increases.
Using the same criteria, I reckon this review body would come up with a figure of about £500 a week for the old-age pension.
On a separate matter, I was intrigued by a recent article about PrinceWilliam taking up a job as a co-pilot with a rescue service.
He stated that he was going to cut back on his royal duties and do something important. How observant of him.
Alister Rankin. 93 Whyterose Terrace, Methil.