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MSP Demands Quicker
Police Response Times
 A
meeting of local MSP Allan Wilson and councillors from the three towns and
West Kilbride on policing
in the area was given a commitment that efforts will be made locally to
ensure that community concerns
on police response times will be addressed by the Saltcoats station.
Local councillors Sam Taylor, Peter McNamara, David Gallacher, Margaret Munn
and Liz Mc Lardy each
outlined complaints they had received about the lack of a police presence or
a failure to respond
timeously to reported incidents by members of the public.
“The Police were able to reassure those present that their priorities were
the safety of the public and
the apprehension of the criminals concerned. Sometimes that could result in
a longer than usual
response time as police efforts were directed at catching the culprits” said
Mr Wilson.
“From our perspective while that may be the appropriate strategy to employ
as occasion demanded and to
be fair the police have had considerable success recently in arrest they
have made of serious
criminals, it was also important to explain and communicate with the public
that they were not simply
ignoring their complaints” said Mr Wilson.
“The public are reassured by a police presence on the street and with a
record number of police
officers in post it is reasonable for the public to expect to see these
additional numbers reflected in
an increased physical presence as well as improved response times to
reported incidents” said Mr
Wilson.
“The police for their part pointed out that a number of the addition al
officers were their more
experienced constables redeployed to combat serious crime and in particular
drug related crime and
these officers were being replaced by novice constables who required
training to the necessary
standards of their more experienced colleagues” said Mr Wilson.
“I agreed to raise the issue of training with the Justice Minister Jim
Wallace as it is important that
the increased resources in terms of both personnel and equipment, as well as
the potential for further
investment in new technology, is reflected in an improved service to the
public and increased personal
security in our communities” said Mr Wilson |
