Over the weekend of March 20-21, I had cause to call Police Scotland on their non-emergency number 101 to report an incident involving minor vandalism and anti-social behaviour in Haddington.
After a lengthy wait on hold, I was eventually connected to an operator who took details of the incident. I was then informed that the matter had been passed to the police.
I waited for two hours but to no avail; the police did not appear, nor do I have any idea as to whether they ever appeared. I rather think my complaint was deemed low priority, which may be understandable on the afternoon of an Old Firm football game.
It seems like the anti-social behaviour continued until the perpetrators got fed up and went home.
I accept that this may have been an issue of lesser importance and that the police, of whom I am a great supporter, had other more pressing things to do.
Nonetheless it is disappointing that they are unable to respond in a reasonably timely manner when contacted by members of the general public.
Lack of resources are no doubt partly to blame, and for that we should look to central government.
But we should also look to central government for centralising local forces in Police Scotland some years ago.
No doubt this was deemed financially more efficient, but it would seem not to be more efficient in terms of policing.
In times past, the local police would have cleared the matter up in jig time, probably walking to the scene from the police station.
This and similar incidents in the past are beginning to suggest to me that, in Haddington at least, the police have lost an element of control, especially at the weekends.
Stuart Crawford
Haddington
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