PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN Police Scotland has been severely dented with a new survey revealing that 40% of who have contact the police are unhappy with the response they received.
The figures have been revealed in Police Scotland’s own ‘Your View Counts’ report, which sought the views of 16,000 people throughout Scotland between April and September.
In the report the priority areas expected by the public from their local police officers are dealings with anti-social behaviour, housebreaking and drugs.
Commenting on the study is Moray-based regional MSP Douglas Ross, who is also the Tory spokesman on Justice at the Scottish Parliament and a member of Moray Council’s police scrutiny committee.
Mr Ross said: “This survey shows people seem to be losing confidence in the ability of Police Scotland to do its job in local communities.
“We were promised by the SNP this would not happen with a single police force but people across Scotland have taken a different view from the Scottish Government. Officers work tremendously hard, and that hard work is appreciated by people who want to see more of them – not less – in their villages, towns and local communities.
“That hard work by officers and police staff is being undermined by this SNP government which wants to reduce the visibility of officers and cut the number of places where people can actually go in and deal with the force.
“This survey isn’t a drop in the ocean – thousands of people across Scotland have taken the time to fill it in.
“It should serve as a wake-up call to the Scottish Government to make sure Police Scotland is adequately equipped to meet the expectations and win the confidence of the people it is tasked with protecting.”