Policing

The headlines today concern the policing of Scotland.  It's reported that a Ministerial Statement will be issued by the Scottish Government on 12 January to the effect that the government will be indicating in their manifesto the intent to move to a single force in the future.

Is this good or bad news for Scotland?  Labour already support a single police force and should the SNP follow then that makes a majority for the idea.  Back in October, at the SNP conference, Alex Salmond indicated a preference for three or four forces.  What has brought about this change of mind?

The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland is against the idea.  No surprises there then.  Would the amalgamation of our current forces effect the demise of ACPOS?  If that was the case then it's certainly a plus.

The main concern about a single force has been coming from the Grampian Police and Northern Constabulary areas and that's understandable. Strathclyde is by far the biggest of the present eight forces in Scotland. Aberdeenshire is far removed from the Glasgow area and not only in distance. Both areas have differing social problems as well as a few in common and Grampian are worried that they are consumed by the much larger Strathclyde methods.

I certainly think that eight police forces is excessive, particularly now that IT has finally come of age within this public service.  It has taken years for IT to work effectively but I'm reliably informed it does now save many man hours.

Whether we could manage with a single force or would be better provided by three or four, I haven't yet decided. What I'd like to know is the reason(s) for the SNP's change of heart before I make a final judgement.

In the right-hand column I've put up a wee poll. Please vote if you have time.  The results will be interesting.

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Bully or Investor?

Yesterday, I had written part of a post about Trump and his golf course in Aberdeenshire, when one of my readers mentioned a newspaper article in a comment. My post was related to that particular article and it was then I realised I had to come off the fence about Trump's golf complex on the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire. Until now I've given the American the benefit of the doubt, thinking it would improve the economy of Scotland, but I have to confess I was wrong.

The comment, from cynical Highland, which affirmed my thoughts was:

'This man is a far greater danger SB as he will overide our liberties for alleged economic reasons.'

Who is 'this' man'? Donald Trump.

A couple of documentary film makers, Anthony Baxter and Richard Phinney, were shooting a piece about the impact of the resort on residents and how Trump received planning permission. They are reported to have been filming allegations that the water supply was cut off to local residents for some days. George Soros, Donald Trump's mouthpiece in this project, insists the problem was 'immediately rectified'. Wouldn't Scottish Water be involved in such an incident? For a pipe to be damaged, whether accidently or not, it's not a case of clicking a button on a computer to rectify the situation. It takes days to rectify pipe problems and for Soros to say the pipe was repaired immediately is a lie. No such repair can be done immediately. Living where I do I know full well, that with the full attention of Scottish Water, even such a small problem takes at least 3 days.

I digress from the point of this post. Why did the police arrest the two documentary makers for breach of the peace, hold them for hour hours, handcuff one, take their DNA, take photographs and fingerprints just because George Soros phoned them to say these two film makers had 'burst' into Menie House, Trump's home at the resort when they insist that Trump's local manager, Paul O'Connor, freely agreed to be interviewed on camera and that their film proves they entered the building with permission and never filmed any documents.

Soros states:

\We genuinely have an open-door policy [but] it's not acceptable to have two people burst into an office unannounced.'

The statement by Soros that the documentary makers filmed documents is either correct or lies. The two documentary makers insist their film will show they are lies. I can't believe that Soros didn't have enough staff around him to stop two men accessing his filing cabinet(s).

It's not often I'm on the side of unions, but the NUJ require support in this matter. Also there's the serious question about the reaction of the police. Here, in this rural area, police behaving in such a manner would be questioned. It's now up to the people of Aberdeenshire if they want to question the Trump organisation's tactics to avoid openness in their dealings.

My thought is that every Scot wants a fair and sensible police force. In this case it would appear Grampian Police have acted on impulse rather than knowledge. Could it be that they were biased because a foreign investor is more important than the freedom of British journalists. There's an underlying murkiness here from both Trump and Grampian Police.

To those of you in Scotland and abroad who said Scotland would rue the day they allowed Trump to be involved in owning land in this country, my sincere apologies for saying you were wrong.

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