Tayside Police Joint Board

On Monday morning I attended a meeting of the Tayside Police Joint Board. One of the main issues discussed was the whole issue about the proposed single police service. I raised my concern under the police performance report about recent drug recoveries, worth over £125,000, at Dundee Railway Station, which is in my ward. I was reassured to hear that police dogs trained to sniff out drugs are regularly deployed at the station and that intelligence is used to target certain individuals who are suspected of trafficking drugs. I was also pleased to hear that there is a strong link with British Transport Police to target drug trafficking on the railways. I'm glad that the message can go out that the police are always vigilant about these issues.

A number of items on the agenda highlighted the threats to police staff jobs and the fact that police officers are sometimes being used to fulfil tasks which have previously been undertaken by police staff. I asked if this was the best use of the force's resources. The answer I received basically said that there were few options for the force. I am concerned that this undermines the morale of police staff and also means that police officers are not using their skills and powers in the best possible manner.