POSTER campaigns in crime-plagued areas can be just as reassuring as seeing extra officers on the streets, senior policemen said yesterday.
HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland, Paddy Tomkins, and assistant, Malcolm Dickson, made the claims as MSPs tried to establish the role of community policing.
Responding to questions from Holyrood's justice committee over research into
the use of posters, Mr Tomkins said: "There are many means of reassuring the public, which are complementary – one is not necessarily better than the other. Academics have found that public anxiety increases at the point where they see a number of police officers on the street."
Mr Dickson said the research underlined the range of ways police can act in the community. He added: "The point I'm trying to make is there is the odd dynamic that increased visibility can in some cases increase people's concerns."
He said poster campaigns could be productive but stressed that there was always the desire to get additional "yellow jackets" – or officers – on the street.
Mr Dickson described trying to define community policing as "pinning the wave to the sand". He added: "I don't like to get too hung up on definitions. All policing to me is community policing."
The committee previously took evidence from a representative from the Chicago police force. MSPs want to define the role of policing and how effectively it is being applied across Scotland.
The full article contains 244 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
