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Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Desk-bound Scots bobbies told they will need fitness training to get them back on the beat
They have enjoyed a slower-paced life, sitting behind their desks manning the backroom operations. But a major Police Scotland shake-up to put more boots on the ground means officers used to the indoor environment have to step back out once again. Scores off staff are going from long-term desk jobs to dangerous frontline roles - but it has been claimed they'll need skills and fitness retraining to deal with the transition. News of the reshuffle comes as the cash-strapped force struggles to get a grip on deadly gang wars being fought in parts of the country. Ruthless feuding between drug lords and notorious criminal families has seen over a dozen attacks including fire bombings and gun violence as the grapple for control that kicked off in Edinburgh spread to Glasgow in recent months. Drugs and people trafficking and other violent crimes are also stretching the thin blue line to breaking point amid shrinking numbers of officers, which fell to the lowest level since 2007 in the middle of last year. The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents the rank and file, yesterday warned officers working desk jobs for years will need to be 'prepared for the demands of frontline policing'. David Kennedy, SPF general secretary, said they had concerns about the transition for those who had been 'non-operational' for an extended period of time. Mr Kennedy said: 'Issues such as refresher training, fitness and welfare are paramount to ensure officers are fully prepared for the demands of frontline policing. 'The Federation has emphasised that any move back to operational duties must be supported appropriately to safeguard both the officers and the public.' According to Mr Kennedy, there are also issues around 'flexible working' for officers involved. He said: 'We are aware that a lot of officers who work 9 to 5 do so because they have caring responsibilities and they will now need to apply for flexible working.' Mr Kennedy was also critical of police Scotland's use of 'on call', which means officers may be required to be available for duty outside of their regular shift. He said: 'On call is another major concern as we believe that Police Scotland relies too heavily on this in the day-to-day 24/7 of policing.' And he added: 'You can shake it up as much as you want but you can't get more from less and Police Scotland needs more police officers'. The force is recruiting extra civilian staff to free up scores of desk officers for operational duties in a bid to improve visibility in communities and boost the fight against crime. The overhaul spearheaded by Chief Constable Jo Farrell reverses moves of previous years that saw bobbies pulled from the beat for back office roles after budget cuts saw civilian staff made redundant. Now the Contact Centre, Firearms Licensing and Investigation section is among the first to see the 'release officers from these roles back to front line policing roles'. According to a force report, 32 officers in firearms licensing will switch back to local policing with civilians being recruited to replace them, with the 'rebalancing' of the force set to see hundreds more moved from desk jobs to bolster the thin blue line. The report says: 'We plan for a further uplift of 30 police staff in the future and further remodelling of the function. 'At the end stage, we should release 58 dedicated and approximately 300 non-dedicated police officer firearms enquiry officers from the function in a phased approach. 'We are also carrying out a rebalancing of the workforce mix within our contact centres. Phase one - replacing 25 constable posts and 10 sergeant posts with 25 staff posts - was completed this quarter. 'It is expected that phase two - replacing a further 50 constables and 20 sergeants with 50 staff posts - will be complete by quarter four 2025/26.' Seven months after taking up the top job in June 2023, Chief Constable Jo Farrell said she was 'shocked' by the lack of focus on frontline policing. She said the force was being 'held under water on a daily basis' by the scale of demand it faces, and highlighted officers being taken off the front line to do work that should be done by civilian police staff. Police Scotland declined to elaborate over the ultimate number of officers expected to be switched from desk jobs to the frontline as part of the force's 'rebalancing' blueprint. But it said, all officers are expected to maintain fitness levels for operational duties as they can be deployed operationally for major incidents or policing events. Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell added yesterday: 'The Chief Constable has been clear that bringing frontline policing to its strongest position is a priority. 'We began the additional deployments from back-office and corporate functions across the organisation in November 2024, which is already enabling frontline officers to stay in communities to prevent crime and address threat, risk and harm. 'Routine refresher training is already carried out and we are working to identify additional training requirements and will support these as required.' ACC Waddell added: 'We recognise the challenges that caring responsibilities can place on our people, which frontline officers on shift patterns are not immune to either.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Cops continue hunt for masked gang after machete attack on Edinburgh kingpin Mark Richardson's pal
Cops are continuing their hunt for a masked gang following a "machete attack" on Edinburgh's cocaine kingpin Mark Richardson's close friend at his home in the capital. On March 22 at 9.20pm, David McMillan was rushed to hospital and treated for serious injuries after the incident at his home on Pitcairn Grove. The attack has been confirmed to be linked to the gangland wars that have erupted across Scotland, reports The Daily Record. READ MORE: Edinburgh takeaway up in flames as emergency services race to scene READ MORE: Edinburgh police swoop on city centre as busy road cordoned off by officers Police are treating the incident as attempted murder as they continue their hunt for four balaclava-wearing men in dark clothing who remain at large. It is believed that the men got out of a grey-coloured Land Rover Discovery and assaulted 54-year-old McMillan before fleeing the scene. Subsequent inquiries have established the Land Rover Discovery travelled eastbound along the M8. A source told the Record: 'David saw a gang of four guys outside his house. 'So he went out to confront them along with a security guy he's employed to help his wife feel safer. 'He managed to hit one about the head and wrestled a phone from him. The attackers were trying to film it. 'David was then hit in the skull with the machete which left an open wound. Nothing life threatening though. But he and his minder then still managed to chase them away. David then drove himself to the hospital. When cops on patrol realised it was him they escorted him to hospital with their blue lights on so they could jump the traffic lights.' Officers are appealing to any drivers on the M8 on the night to contact them. Detective Superintendent Paul Grainger said: 'This has been a targeted attack and we are continuing our enquiries to identify those responsible. 'We know the Land Rover Discovery drove along the M8 eastbound last night. It may have been driven at speed or erratically so I would appeal to any motorists with dash cams to check their footage as the images could be significant to our investigation. 'If anyone has any information regarding this crime, please contact us.' Earlier this year, violence erupted in the capital after Dubai-based Mr Big - recently unmasked as former Rangers ultra and Union Bears boss Ross McGill - was ripped off in a £500,000 cocaine deal by kingpin Richardson's cronies. It is understood his foot-soldiers used fake cash during a botched deal. Ever since, gangster Mr Big has been targeting the homes, properties and businesses of Richardson's associates. It is the third time McMillan has been targeted in recent weeks. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. On April 17, two masked thugs set fire to McMillan's front door while children slept inside. The culprits torched the property before fleeing the scene. Just three weeks later on May 8, a white Land Rover SUV in his driveway went up in flames after his family returned home from a shopping trip. Shocking images of the charred wreckage showed a scorched baby seat in the back of the burnt-out vehicle. Cops arrested and charged three men aged 18 and one aged 31 with fire-raising at the home. The latest attack comes just three days after two men were injured in a separate machete attack at a garage owned by Glasgow crime clan member Robert Daniel. The violent incident took place outside the 50-year-old's CS Accident repair shop in East Kilbride on Monday. Two men, aged 41 and 45, were injured in the incident. The Record understands Robert was the intended victim as his family have been targeted over their association with Richardson. Cops have committed to coming down hard on those involved in the violence in an investigation, known as Operation Portaledge, which has seen multiple properties smashed into during dawn raids at homes in Glasgow, Hamiltonhill, Milton of Campsie and Wishaw. A total of 41 people have been arrested in the Glasgow and Edinburgh regions amid the wide-ranging probe. Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell said the investigation is a priority for forensics teams. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
The Herald
12-05-2025
- The Herald
Appalling killing drives home need for concerted effort to tackle gangs
A husband, father, grandfather and much-loved member of the community — dead. Another innocent victim of the relentless gang wars in the northern areas. Devoted family man and church elder Jan Bezuidenhout died a hero, trying to save another innocent person caught in the crossfire of a suspected gang shooting. When the 69-year-old Helenvale resident saw a woman frozen in fear as bullets whizzed around her on Thursday evening, he immediately ran out and tried to get her to safety, not for one second considering the danger to his own life. Tragically, his incredible bravery proved fatal. Bezuidenhout was struck by one of the bullets as he ran towards the terrified woman, shouting at her to get down, and died later in hospital. The loss of this kind, witty, respected man, who stayed true to his character to the end, has hit his family and the community hard. The overriding comment has been that he was never the type of person to just stand around and watch in times of trouble. He was a protector extraordinaire. 'Always helping people ... even in his last moments, that's what he was doing,' his granddaughter, who had been with him at his house when he was shot, said. 'When he saw that woman in trouble, he didn't think twice. He just ran towards her ... 'I don't think he even realised what was happening at first. He just saw someone in need and went straight into action.' Bezuidenhout's distraught sister said: 'He showed me that helping people is the most important thing you can do ... he didn't hesitate to put someone else first, and that's what made him so special. 'I'll always carry that lesson with me — to help, to love and to never think twice when someone needs you.' There is nothing more we can say about the need for more police resources and boots on the ground and focused crime intelligence in the area that has not been said before. Sadly, whatever has been done, if anything, has made no difference to the lived reality of the residents. As we mourn the loss of this incredibly brave man with his family and the people of Helenvale, we plead for a concerted effort to tackle the gangs. While the gangs reign supreme and rival wars play out on the streets, no-one is safe. The Herald
