Chris Grayling in Ayr to learn lessons

Oct 2 2009 by Lisa Boyle

THE TORY leader is taking a leaf out of South Ayrshire’s book.

David Cameron’s shadow home secretary visited Ayr last week to learn more about our justice system.

And Chris Grayling reckons lessons can be learned from the way our local cops work.

Mr Grayling told the Post: “I think there’s a real need for close partnership between the home office and the justice office in Scotland.

“My purpose of being here in Ayr is to find out about the differences and best practices done within the Scottish system.

“I’ve heard praise for the way the Scottish police and prosecutors work together in a way that is simpler and less bureaucratic than the equivalent in England.

“So it’s very helpful for me to come to Ayr and talk to the police on the ground and see how that actually works.

“Then I can go back and see what we can do to make things simpler.”

Mr Grayling met with Superintendent John Hazlett, and councillors Hugh Hunter and Bill Grant.

He continued: “There are situations in England where there is different technology and vast amounts of paperwork has to be produced. People talk much more warmly about the relationship police and prosecutors have north of the border.

“The truth is that getting more cops on the street is less about resources and more about what we ask them to do.

“I’ve been talking to police here and they are telling me the same thing that police all over the UK are telling me – they are spending too much time dealing with targets, dealing with performance regimes, rather than spending more time on the streets.

“And I think that everyone in a position of political influence has to take a step back and say ‘well are we actually getting this right?’ Do they spend too much time in the police station dealing with paperwork rather than dealing with the issues people want them to?”