Sir, Further to the letter from Mr Murray on the failure of Police Scotland to adequately safeguard the property of the Glenrothes Cricket Club, this may be the result of a complete change of emphasis in the way Scotland is now policed.
As figures show, there has been a huge increase in the number of people being stopped and searched.
What Police Scotland has become is, in effect, an English-style police force using tactics now being heavily criticised south of the border and which have alienated large sections of the public there, resulting in widespread public mistrust of the police. In some instances this has culminated in major civil unrest.
This has come about as a result of appointing an English-trained chief constable with no experience of policing in Scotland. To compound that error, he brought with him a raft of English senior officers who have enthusiastically embarked on the wholesale destruction of policing as we knew it.
The result of their “improvements” so far is to denude the rural areas of resources and move officers to stations far from the areas they are supposed to police, breaking the link between the police and the communities they serve. When the local control rooms go, local knowledge will go with them and the link will be further damaged.
It is perhaps time for the Scottish Parliament to look at how the new police service in Scotland is performing and where it is heading, before the wholesale destruction of the old systems is completed.
George Thomson. 44 Viewforth Place, Pittenweem.
How to beat a football legend
Sir, Last month I visited for the first time the Bernabeu stadium, home of Real Madrid. The news of the demise of Alfredo Di Stefano, one of the club’s greatest icons, was therefore doubly interesting for me.
This soccer giant was a byword for eloquence, technique, positive thinking, even the romance of football. It should be remembered, though, he was once outwitted by Sir Alex Ferguson, then of Aberdeen, in the European Cup Winners Cup final in Gothenburg in 1983.
The late Jock Stein advised him to present Di Stefano, then the Real coach, with a bottle of whisky.
It seems Di Stefano was taken aback, perhaps became a bit complacent and, in the end, had to pay tribute to Aberdeen as they won 2-1 and lifted the trophy.
Bob Taylor. 24 Shiel Court, Glenrothes.
When is a tout not a tout?
Sir, I note the furore surrounding World Cup ticket touting, which would make us believe this is a heinous crime.
I understand it is only in football that touting is illegal; tickets for concerts, theatre, other sporting events etc can be bought on the internet from apparently legal websites. I recently purchased concert tickets on the internet at two and a half times their face value.
Tickets are a commodity and I cannot understand the logic in allowing trading in some cases but not in others.
Andy Lang. Palace Road, Blairgowrie.
Say no to TV scare stories
Sir, The Courier carried reports of alleged bullying of unionist businessmen by the Scottish Government inspired, it appears, by a Dispatches programme on Channel 4. This laughable televised propaganda exercise merely served to show how risible and pathetic the unionist case is.
The programme offered not one shred of evidence of the alleged intimidation. All they could come up with was Gavin Hewitt, who worked for the Scotch Whisky Association and led the opposition to the Scottish Government’s minimum pricing for alcohol legislation, and a couple of other self-serving unionists whining about possible, vague hints they may or may not have picked up from the Scottish Government.
This merely serves to highlight the desperation of the No campaign. In truth, it is to the credit of the vast majority of Scotland’s business people that they are not willing to back up the ridiculous scare stories spun by the No campaign.
Jim Duthie. 74b Gray Street, Broughty Ferry.
Economical with the truth
Sir, With the debate about the value of oil in the North Sea of significance to many in the coming referendum, surely we deserve honesty from the politicians and civil servants?
While there is obviously uncertainty about the future, basic economics taught in every school and university tells us reducing supply with stable or increasing demand pushes prices up. The UK Government can’t have it both ways, claiming output is declining as well as prices.
It’s also worth noting that the Westminster politicians claim oil revenues are a liability to Scotland while an asset to the UK, and use their Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts to support their position, with the OBR using a much lower oil price figure than all other industry and international bodies I am aware of, and that even the same Government’s Department for Energy and Climate Change predicts a higher oil price. Honesty or political manipulation?
We are asking the Scottish people to make an important decision. I hope we won’t look back on this period as a time when Westminster duped the people of Scotland once again and again.
David Cairns. Bankfoot, Perth.
Multis minority is to blame
Sir, My first reaction on seeing Dundee’s “killer multis” (Tuesday’s Courier) was anger. That basically says all the hard work of tenants in the Phoenix Association and all the money spent by the council on upgrading these blocks has been wasted. In fairness, the story was well written and balanced, and highlights a real problem found in every type of housing in every area.
As housing convener, I set out to improve the management and maintenance of these multis, and with the enthusiastic help of tenants and council staff, that’s exactly what we did. We created some of the most energy-efficient housing in the city, tackling fuel poverty head on. We put in extra security and more is yet to come. Yes, some people do not know how to behave, but the police and the Anti-Social Behaviour Team work extremely hard to sort them out. What we need is for the good tenants to stay and the others to change their behaviour or leave.
Councillor Jimmy Black. Former housing convener, Dundee City Council.
Compensation for workers
Sir, I am writing to you regarding the article on July 5 on The Construction Workers Compensation Scheme (TCWCS). The article states that compensation ranges from £4,000 to £20,000. In fact, the compensation that is available extends from £4,000 to £100,000.
The scheme has been created by eight construction companies to provide financial compensation to those whose names were held on The Consulting Association (TCA) records.
The scheme provides applicants with a choice of two processes for accessing compensation: fast track and full review. The fast track process offers payments of between £4,000 and £20,000 and requires absolutely no proof of loss or proof of illegal activity. It removes all the hurdles applicants would face in court and, in many cases, will pay compensation at significantly higher levels than the courts.
For those whose TCA records contained more information, the full review process will assess the financial impact of the applicant’s name appearing on the records. Cases will be reviewed by an independent adjudicator who will set compensation at up to £100,000.
John Taylor. TCWS, 30 Crown Place, Earl Street, London.