‘Police Scotland’s problems are by no means wholly reducible to parliamentary process. Still, it seems fair to suggest that the manner in which the Bill proceeded through the Scottish Parliament has not helped matters.’ Taking PLOs (ministerial aides) off committees does not alter the lack of proper scrutiny/partisan politics rather than acting in the public interest.
Integrating British Transport Police on a ‘shoogly peg’
‘It is difficult to see the logic in saddling Police Scotland with more structural upheaval,’ the author argues about the planned integration of British Transport Police. The Scottish Government is wrong to say that the timing is right: it isn’t.
No need for new alcohol search powers
Police Scotland is seeking to reinstate non-statutory stop and search of children for alcohol despite new laws abolishing it. But new SG evidence, published here for the first time, suggests that under-age drinking offences have fallen dramatically: any new powers would be wholly unwarranted.