A Perth and Kinross councillor has been accused of “sensationalism” for publicly criticising the police.
In a council meeting this week a Conservative councillor questioned police availability after claiming it took officers four hours to respond to his 999 call the previous day.
Bailie Chris Ahern sought assurance police officers were available to respond to 999 calls – particularly with Bonfire Night this weekend.
However, Police Scotland – and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service – did not attend the November 2 meeting of the housing and social wellbeing committee where the councillor made his comments.
As a result, he was accused of “sensationalism and attention-seeking”.
Police ‘dangerously low on numbers’
Bailie Ahern told councillors he had hoped to raise a matter with local police chiefs.
The Perth City Centre councillor said: “We are all aware of the pressures the police are under particularly at this time of year.”
He continued: “I had cause yesterday to dial 999 for the police.”
He added: “My concern was the police did not turn up until four hours later on the way back from Dundee and at the end of their shift.
“We are already aware Police Scotland is dangerously low on police numbers and with what’s coming up at the weekend, what’s happened last weekend [on Monday night in Dundee], there must be a concern of residents and elected members in the chamber here as to the ability to attend 999 calls.”
‘There is a time and a place’
After the meeting Liberal Democrat councillor – and former convener – Peter Barrett contacted the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) to say he did not think it appropriate for the comments to be made when the police were not in attendance at the meeting.
He said: “I think that there is a time and a place to pursue concerns about the police response to individual local incidents and crimes.
“It’s definitely not at a committee meeting when the police aren’t present and policing isn’t on the agenda.
“That just smacks of sensationalism and attention-seeking desperation to grab a headline. We know that the police are stretched very thinly across the whole of the country.”
Absent ‘due to meeting change’
Councillors were told by SNP convener Tom McEwan that police were absent from the meeting due to it being held two weeks earlier than normal.
This did not allow both Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service enough time to produce and present their latest quarterly reports.
Both will be presented in January.
‘Not the first time’
Cllr Ahern told the LDRS this was not the first time he had experienced a delayed response following an emergency call to the police.
He said: “A while ago I passed a car stuck on the central reservation between Broxden and Inveralmond and three elderly people were out of the car walking about the central reservation.
“I got halfway to Glasgow before the police got back to me asking if the car was still there because they had not been able to send a car out.”
He later added: “Saints were playing at home. I did comment that there were officers not far from the incident at the football.”
Bonfire Night plans
After the LDRS raised Cllr Ahern’s concerns about officer availability with Police Scotland, a local inspector said Bonfire Night can be “challenging” for policing but the division can draw upon specialist resources if needed.
Inspector Kris McCall said: “We are committed to dealing with anti-social behaviour and urge anyone with concerns to call 101 and report it to us.
“The lead up to Bonfire Night can be challenging and local policing teams can draw upon specialist public order officers if needed.”
He highlighted the launch of Operation Moonbeam in October 2022.
As part of the operation local policing divisions will be able to call upon national resources to “help keep communities safe over the Bonfire Night period”.
Conversation