Meeting of the Parliament 11 February 2026 [Draft]
I thank Pauline McNeill for securing this debate. Although we will not be supporting her motion at decision time, I share her frustration at the persistence of certain types of crime and the feeling, shared by too many, that our streets are not as safe as they once were.
As the debate draws to a close, I return to a simple but powerful truth: safety—that safety that we wish would return to our streets—cannot be separated from justice. A society that leaves people behind, that criminalises distress and that tolerates hatred will never be a truly safe one, no matter how many officers it deploys.
I do not agree that having officers in every ward is necessarily the panacea that it is presented to be. I do not believe that we can talk about community policing without talking about the wider systems that shape it. If our officers are spending hours in A and E with someone who is in a mental health crisis, or supervising individuals in delayed court processes because there is nowhere else for those people to go, that is not a policing success story but a sign of systemic failure. Too often, police officers are left to pick up the pieces because mental health services are overstretched, community support is underfunded and justice processes are slow. That is unfair on officers, on those in crisis and on the communities that lose preventative, relationship-based policing as a result.
If we want genuine community policing, we must free officers to do that work. That means properly resourced mental health provision, investment in youth work and community services and serious action on poverty and inequality. We all know that it is much better to prevent crimes happening in the first place than having to deal with the consequences of crimes that have happened. Safety is not delivered solely through enforcement—it is built through prevention, dignity and care. That is where we believe that our focus should be.
We also have to confront the issue of trust. Policing by consent depends on communities believing that the police will act fairly, proportionately and consistently. Where there is perceived overreach against peaceful protest or perceived inaction in the face of racist intimidation, trust is eroded. Where the application of laws around harassment or stirring up hatred appears to be inconsistent, communities take notice. Police Scotland must be willing to reflect honestly on that: accountability is not an attack on policing, it is essential to strengthening it. Protecting the right to peaceful assembly, safeguarding those targeted by hate and recognising patterns of harassment before they escalate are not optional extras but are central to public safety in a democratic society.
Finally, we need clarity about risk. Although debate often centres on street violence, many of the most significant and growing threats are digital: online fraud, coercive control, radicalisation and cybercrime. Community policing in the 21st century must adapt to that reality. Resources and training must be focused where harm is actually occurring, not simply reflecting the headlines that are the loudest or the most sensational.
My politics are rooted in social justice. I believe that safety and justice are inseparable. A society that tolerates racism, neglects mental health or leaves people in poverty will never be truly safe, no matter how many officers we throw at the problem. If we are serious about safer communities, we must invest in prevention, uphold everybody’s rights, challenge hate and rebuild trust. That requires courage, consistency and compassion. That is the standard that we should set and the responsibility that we all share.