ISLANDS MSP ACCOMPANIES LOCAL OFFICERS FOR THE DAY

Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MSP Alasdair Allan this week accompanied police officers in Stornoway as part of the national ‘Give a Day to Policing’ scheme.

As part of the scheme, Members of the Scottish Parliament across the country have been invited to spend a day with Police Scotland during the summer parliamentary recess to see first-hand the work undertaken in their constituencies.

During the visit, the islands MSP met Area Inspector Jane Nicolson and spent the afternoon out in the police car with local police officer Daniel Smith.

Alasdair Allan commented:

“This was a really helpful opportunity to see first-hand the work that our police officers have to carry out daily to keep our communities safe and get an insight into the nature of island policing.

“It’s interesting to see that an increasing amount of officer time is spent helping to safeguard vulnerable people in the community. While crime is altogether lower than it was a decade ago, the nature of it is continually changing and growing more complex.

“In the Western Isles we have one of the lowest rates of crime in the country and I am extremely thankful for the hard work and dedication of our local police officers in helping to achieve this.”