Talking-up Scotland

(c) BGR

Today in the Scotsman, we read:

‘Officers left fatigued and frustrated in wake of Police Scotland cuts. The savings imposed on Police Scotland are unsustainable and have led to fewer officers supporting communities, according to force personnel interviewed for a Scottish Government document.’

https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/officers-left-fatigued-and-frustrated-in-wake-of-police-scotland-cuts-1-4741752

As you might expect it’s a highly selective reading of the Evaluation of Police and Fire Reform document released by the Scottish Government with just a wee acknowledgement that there is positive in the report, at the very end, after a Tory rant.

I do go on about context but, once more, that’s what we need to properly judge the quality of Police Scotland. Here’s some:

As knife and gun crime rockets across England and Wales and falls in Scotland, Scotland has far more police officers per head of population

Police Scotland, world experts on violence reduction, are now to advise The Met after helping the NYPD and Canada Police. Scotland’s media ignore the story in favour of anything negative they can find.

As knife crime soars in England and Wales and police numbers fall, Police Scotland is staffed at 50% higher level

First New York Police and now Canada’s police come to learn from Scotland’s successes in tackling violence

How the SNP have protected Scotland by maintaining police numbers and how Theresa May has exposed England to risk.

If officers are genuinely fatigued (no scientifically measurable data is presented), then thank goodness the Tories are not setting their staffing budget.