Portfolio Justice


offering three options: the status quo, a reduced number of regional forces or a single force. Like most public services, police budgets


will be reduced in the coming years and a move away from the eight-force model is seen by some as the most cost-effective way forward. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said savings of £153m could be achieved by creating a single force, but insisted no decision will be made until after the May election. His comments followed a meeting of the


Scottish Policing Board in Edinburgh last week where a report, compiled by senior police officers and “financial specialists” from all forces, was discussed. Latimer is only too aware that change to


Scottish policing is necessary – but he wants to see a regional foundation at the heart of a future set-up. “I am not resistant to reform of policing,


I am not sitting here as a traditionalist and someone against change,” he added. “Tis force has continually reformed


during my time here and if there is evidence to support changes to structures to the way we deliver policing in Scotland, particularly in the Highlands and Islands, I am very supportive of that. “In terms of the consultation, if that is a


genuine commitment then we have to take it on face value and I welcome it and think it is a really important step forward. We have to accept this will be a political decision.” Labour has already voiced its support for


a single force, while the Tories also agree, provided it is overseen by directly elected commissioners. Te SNP has refused to outline its preference until the consultation


Beyond the headlines Search for the truth


There have been claims that the ongoing crisis in Libya could shed further light on the identity of those responsible for the Lockerbie bombing. Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi is the only person ever to be convicted of the attack which killed 270 people, despite this, it has been widely alleged that Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi must have been involved.


Earlier this month, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, Libya’s former justice minister, said he had evidence of Gaddafi’s involvement in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.


He claimed Gaddafi gave the orders himself. He doesn’t, however, say who carried out the attack. The motivations behind the accusations from


48 Holyrood 28 March 2011


is complete. Te Liberal Democrats have steadfastly opposed plans for a single force. Latimer, who started his career at


Merseyside Police, added: “Te challenges we face today and the difficult decisions that will follow are such that we cannot rush them or brush aside professional and community concerns. “Tis is a once in a generation change


which is proposed which must be built upon firm evidence and influenced by community stakeholders and professional dialogue.”


“This is a once in a generation change


which is proposed which must be built upon firm


evidence and influenced by community stakeholders and professional dialogue”


Opponents have said centralisation could


severely hamper coverage in rural parts of the country, as well as diminishing local accountability. Latimer added: “I cannot see that it is in the


best interests of the Highlands and Islands for strategic leadership and direction to be provided either from Aberdeen, Edinburgh or Glasgow. Tere is a big difference between genuine local accountability and locally responsive divisional commanders within a single force who deliver policing within communities but who have no real say in budgets, police officer numbers, support


Jalil – now widely quoted as “the head of the provisional rebel government in Benghazi” – will be questionable to many. Nevertheless, an American group, Families of Pan Am 103, say President Barack Obama should take action following the claims.


Indeed authorities in Edinburgh and London have also indicated that it has been widely known for some time that Megrahi must have been working with others. There is now no shortage of people saying it would have been impossible for Megrahi to have worked alone.


But what will surely become increasingly difficult for the UK Government and its predecessor to explain, is how it could justify a cosying up with Libya in recent years if it knew the masterminds of the attack were still at large.


And if it is so widely accepted that Gaddafi and


staff or service delivery with decisions affecting all of these being made outwith the Highlands and Islands. “We have just completed a best-value


review which, amongst other aspects, is resulting in the closure of 16 police stations and the loss of 45 full and part-time police staff posts by the end of March 2011. “Tese are very difficult decisions but


I believe this again demonstrates our willingness to implement change to meet current challenges. “Te communities of the Highlands


and Islands should not be asked to accept any dilution of service, any change to the structure of policing in our region must at the very least maintain the current high service thresholds of our visible localised community focused style of policing.” Northern Constabulary last month published the results of an internal staff survey on the consultation – a total of 778 questionnaires were completed and 86.6 per cent of the respondents voted against a single force. Latimer added: “I haven’t seen a case that hangs together for a single force. I have professional concerns. If they could be addressed I am objective enough to say it might work, but I haven’t heard those. “Difficult choices have to be made, in my mind there is a real opportunity to position policing for the next generation but we need to get it right. I think, in terms of Highlands and Islands but also for Scotland, one model doesn’t fit – my preference would be for a regional structure.” George Graham, who had been deputy


chief constable at Dumfries and Galloway Police, is the new chief constable at Northern Constabulary.


others in the Libyan regime were behind the attack – did previous UK governments put the pursuit of oil deals before justice? For Megrahi campaigners, however, the turmoil impacting the country will do very little to reveal the perpetrators of the attack. There is a growing list of people – including some of the UK’s most high-profile lawyers – who insist Megrahi and indeed Libya had nothing to do with Lockerbie.


Many believe it was actually Iran that ordered the attack – after the shooting down of an Iranair flight by an American missile in the summer of 1988 with the loss of 290 lives. They claim Libya – then an international pariah – was merely a scapegoat in the affair.


If Gaddafi and his regime were in fact behind the attack after all, it isn’t half a convenient time for authorities in the UK and US to say so.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80