SETTING up a new national policing board must not become a first step towards creating a single police force for Scotland, critics warned today.
Councillor Iain Whyte, convener of Lothian & Borders police board, said the Scottish Government's announcement of a national policing body could be seen either as a move to centralise police services or just a talking shop.
He said: "We have to be
careful a national board cannot take away the responsibility at local level to react to the policing needs of each force area."
The Scottish Policing Board, which is to hold its first meeting in the autumn, will be chaired by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill and is expected to look at cross-border crime such as human trafficking, internet crime, terrorism and fraud, as well as encouraging co-operation between the country's eight police forces.
The move follows an independent review by former Lothian & Borders chief constable Paddy Tomkins in his role as HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary which raised concerns about the way policing was governed.
The review recommended a national steering group to "decide which policing risks require co-ordination at national level and oversee the response to these national risks".
Cllr Whyte said: "I very much hope this is not the start of moves to push through the single police force idea.
"The Scottish Government has previously said it does not want to interfere with policing structures and I hope they will stick to that."
He said the devil would be in the detail of the arrangements for the new board.
"We have to find a way of making it a meaningful exchange on the issues that have wider national or even international implications and a co-operative arrangement between the forces."
Charles Dundas, a Liberal Democrat member of Lothian & Borders police board, said there were already several bodies, not least the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS), which helped co-ordinate policing across the country.
He said: "ACPOS already reaches into every force in Scotland. I remain to be convinced there is a need for yet another layer of bureaucracy."
And he said Lothian and Borders was already a large area in which to deliver local policing. "I would not like to see it expanded any further."
Labour councillor Ian Murray, who also sits on the Lothian & Borders police board, said there was no doubt policing issues were best dealt with at local level.
And he said: "I would be concerned if the eight police forces were not already working together on issues like terrorism and human trafficking
."
Mr MacAskill said: "This new body will make sure the challenges facing our police do not impact on frontline policing and help ensure that Scotland's communities continue to be well served."
