Sir, The Justice Secretary must wonder what he has to do to receive the recognition he deserves in transforming Scottish policing. Since he came to power he has presided over year on year improvements in performance.
It should be remembered that Police Scotland was created as a result of the swingeing Westminster cuts, not to bring policing under political control and divert resources to the Central Belt as many have suggested.
Local accountability was, of course, maintained.
In the days of duplication and inefficiency chief constables had to publish an annual report giving details of their forces’ performance.
A set of figures titled “Management Information” has, complete with health warnings, reached the public domain. Apparently the Scottish Government will publish official figures in the autumn. One wonders why so late, but no doubt they will be positive with recorded crime at its lowest for a generation. It should be remembered that all this has been achieved despite the loss of hundreds of highly trained and motivated support staff whilst still maintaining the extra 1000 officers on the beat.
Organisational change brings challenges and none more so than staff morale. Many find it difficult to accept that practices and procedures that apparently delivered a high level of service were in fact flawed and re-educating staff in the methods of proper policing may take time.
The value of proper change management is well recognised and it would appear that Police Scotland are on target to achieve another first, a level of staff morale that equals, if not surpasses, that of recorded crime. All this achieved in a year. A remarkable performance.
Jim Fraser. Elm Street, Errol.
Needs to look closer to home
Sir, Instead of David Cameron telling other countries in the EU to stop supplying arms to Russia, to prevent them supplying pro-Russia groups in Ukraine, he should look closer to home. A select committee looking at this issue has discovered that there are still licences in place to supply arms for non-military use.
Well, quite frankly, looking at that list it is highly questionable that the items could be used for any purpose other than military use.
Also, there were guidelines issued on exporting. It said that a “broad” test that an export licence should not be issued if there was “concern” the equipment could be used for internal repression had been dropped from the latest set of government guideline.
The government at best have acted naively on this issue and at worst has blood on its hands for all the passengers and crew on MH17.
Gordon Kennedy. 117 Simpson Square, Perth.
Ridiculous to blame Putin
Sir, If indeed the Malaysian plane was brought down in Ukraine by a missile, the people responsible are the Western warmongers whose bogus coloured revolution coup d”etat plunged Ukraine into a bloody civil war in the first place.
The fact they are all blaming Russian leader Vladimir Putin is nothing short of ridiculous and it has everything to do with him vetoing their planned war on Syria, plus the Kremlin backing the forming of BRICS, a new bank that will bypass the World Bank and IMF, thus thwarting the dollar’s dominance in world trade.
George Aimer. 82 Kinghorne Road, Dundee.
Why were they moved then?
Sir, I agree with one of your correspondents (July 18), that it must have been very frustrating for those in a queue of 211 vehicles on the A9 behind a car with flashing lights leading four huge transporters.
However, I do not think this one incident justifies the millions that are to be spent on dualling the full length of the A9.
If these vehicles were on any busy single carriageway road in Scotland there would have been frustration for the drivers in the queue behind.
For this particular problem I think it would be reasonable to ask why four huge transporters were being moved in the middle of the day on a busy summer Sunday rather than at some quieter time?
Robert Potter. Menzieshill Road, Dundee.
Make that vote count, or . . .
Sir, Many Scots will appreciate Mr Bruce’s letter (yesterday’s column) and his frustration with the independence campaign.
The timescale set by the SNP was far too long and tedium and apathy has set in with many voters.
Along with the majority of Scots, Mr Bruce wants a “no” vote and a continued bonding with the UK, but he is wrong to query why he and others like him should have to vote as not making every vote count could result in the very situation most Scots are trying to avoid.
This is the only chance to settle the future of Scotland and not voting could result in the minority’s dream finishing up as the majority’s nightmare.
Angus Brown. The Orchard, Station Road, Longforgan, Dundee.