Highland welcomes ‘stay of execution' for Police call centre
9th September 2015
Highland Council Leader, Councillor Margaret Davidson has welcomed Justice Secretary Michael Matheson's announcement at Scottish Parliament this week of measures to strengthen policing in Scotland including a ‘stay of execution' for Police Scotland’s Inverness call centre.
The Scottish Government has indicated that it will support the retention of staff in Aberdeen and Inverness for a period beyond 31 March 2016 to allow for an effective handover of operations to a combined North Area Control Room in Dundee.
Councillor Davidson said: "I would like to reiterate my thanks to Mr Penman, Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, for listening to the concerns of communities about the future of Police Control rooms. The announcement from the Scottish Government is however simply a stay of execution!
"An acceleration of recruitment and training in the central belt does not help us in the Highlands where skills and public confidence will be lost as well as a diminution in local service.
“We need to carry on with the campaign to reinstate the case for a permanent Police Scotland call centre in Inverness for the Highlands."
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