A STRATEGY aimed at improving the performance of Police Scotland must be properly resourced and take account of the distinct policing needs of rural areas like the Borders.

That is the message sent by the newly elected Scottish Borders Council to the single national force and the Scottish Police Authority which holds it to account.

In the week of the Manchester bombing atrocity, the council was asked to respond to a Scotland-wide consultation on a strategy to ensure Police Scotland – formed in 2013 – is fit for purpose over the next decade.

And the SBC response, drawn up by senior council officers and unanimously endorsed by councillors on Thursday, reflects a consensus that policing in the region must be improved.

The Police Scotland plan acknowledges the need to “adapt and transform” to meet the needs of a changing society in which the rise and use of the internet has led to new ways of offending.

“There is a need [in the strategy] to place a premium on prioritising preventative measures and a recognition about the importance of working with other partners, particularly local authorities, in achieving its outcomes,” stated an explanatory report from SBC’s senior policy advisor Douglas Scott, In its agreed response, the council stresses that “much fuller consideration” should be given in the strategy, which concedes the need to operate “within available funding”, to the policing requirements of rural areas such as the Borders.

“Rural communities and small towns can have different priorities compared to cities and more urban areas in relation to antisocial behaviour, road traffic and parking issues and fly tipping,” states the response.

“There is a need to empower local police to operate much more flexibly to deal with local priorities focusing on early intervention and prevention.

“To achieve the better outcomes expected in the strategy, additional resources will have to be committed to partners, particularly local authorities. No consideration is given in the strategy to how partners will find the resources for this preventative working.

“The strategy needs to give more detail on how financial stability and sustainability for the police service going forward will be achieved.

“The technology envisaged to deliver the transformation does not substitute for face-to-face and community contacts which are vital for public confidence and for intelligence.”

Supporting the response, Councillor Euan Robson (Lib Dem, Kelso & District), in his maiden speech at Newtown, highlighted several omissions in the strategy.

“There’s nothing about counter services after the disastrous closures across the south of Scotland; there’s nothing about the loss of local control rooms replaced by call centres where local knowledge is sorely missed,” said Mr Robson.

“There’s also nothing about the reduction in civilian staffing which keeps police officers in front of paperwork rather than in front of the public.

“I support this council’s call for more detail on the financial sustainability of the strategy. Currently Police Scotland faces a £21.2m budget deficit and then strategy concedes this could go as high as £60m ‘without the commencement of an effective transformation plan’. We are right to point out how incoherent the financial situation remains for the police.

“The importance of policing to society has been underlined by the horrendous event in Manchester and any criticism within this council’s response is not of individual police officers, but rather the system in which they operate.”

On behalf of the SNP opposition group, Councillor Heather Anderson (Tweeddale West) said: “While fully supporting the emphasis we [the council] are placing on increasing flexibility to deal with local priorities and focus on early intervention, I want to take the opportunity today of all days to recognise and applaud the achievements of the new national force, the creation of which received cross party support [in Holyrood].

“The achievements include having clear up rates for crime at 51.6% - the highest level in 36 years – violent crime down 52%, homicides down 23%, fire-raising and vandalism down 58% and firearm offences at the lowest level ever recorded.

“The risk of crime is lower in Scotland than in England and Wales and more people feel safe walking home after dark and are more convinced that the police can both prevent crime and catch criminals.

“In addition, £20m has been invested in tackling domestic abuse and 1,000 additional police officers have been maintained. “Given, the national context, I feel a few words of praise for Police Scotland should be recorded in our response.”

The council agreed.