Report to the People
Crime & Questionnaires
The parliamentary recess offers an ideal opportunity to catch up on paperwork which has fallen victim to creative avoidance.
It was, however, with some despondency that I noticed an especially unpopular form of correspondence featured prominently in the pile. The dreaded questionnaire. They are the scourge of politicians’ lives and come from every imaginable source – academics, pressure groups, organisations and professional bodies.
It still amazes me that, as an MSP, I am expected to have an opinion on everything. From "Who throughout history has made the biggest contribution to the world?" to "Should we change the colour of road lines?" Why three letters after my name should furnish me with such insight that I can distil my opinions on the most complex issues of the day down to a tick in a box is, frankly, beyond me: "To tackle youth crime should the government, a) give young offenders free holidays, b) hang them, or c) both? How important is equality? a) Very important, b) quite important, or c) not important? Is God, a) a sentient superbeing, b) merely symbolic, c) other (please state)?"
Now, it will not come as a great shock that politicians have an innate fear of questions which seek a multiple choice or yes/no answer. However, it may be surprising to learn that, on the whole, we don’t do it to annoy you or to avoid telling the truth. We do it because, in life, very few questions can be answered in such stark, clear-cut terms.
This point was well illustrated by a questionnaire from Strathclyde Police. As part of a wide ranging consultation, they were seeking to establish what the local community perceive as the top policing priorities and what issues we want to see tackled.
I welcome this exercise and understand that the goals of the police must reflect those of the community. I do, though, wonder whether we can prioritise crimes in this way.
Can we say to a pensioner who lives in terror of antisocial neighbours and street crime that she is less important than a young couple who return to find their new flat ransacked and their possessions gone? How would you tell a parent whose child was killed by a drunk driver that the fight against drugs is more important?
Each crime is different. Each one is an individual personal tragedy and damages its victim in a different way. All of these issues are important and they all have to be addressed. Effective policing is crucial in combating crime and the Executive is committed to strongly supporting and assisting the police in their fight against crime.
We want to encourage stronger links between the police and the communities they serve. We wish to maintain – and, where possible, increase – the number of front line police officers. Having the right policies and a force with high morale and a good relationship with the public are as important as police numbers.
New technology is also freeing up police officers for front line duties and we will ensure that resources and technology are used as effectively as possible. CCTV cameras, for example, are already assisting officers in monitoring far larger areas than they could on foot and have led to over 800 arrests in Inverclyde alone.
In conclusion and to avoid the yes/no answer, I believe initiatives, not just in the context of policing, which have support in the community and take full advantage of technology are bound to offer improved chances of success.
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