Chief superintendent Bill Fitzpatrick, divisional commander of U Division, Strathclyde Police, has accepted an invitation to the next Arran Community Council meeting in February.
This follows a series of unsubstantiated complaints about police actions and attitude, and claims of victimisation voiced at recent community council meetings. As a result of these complaints, chairman Campbell Laing and secretary Alison Prince met Mr Fitzpatrick in his Kilmarnock office on January 8.
At last Tuesday’s community council meeting in the Ormidale Pavilion, Campbell Laing told fellow councillors: ‘The chief superintendent indicated that he was keen to visit the island. We had quite a frank, open and honest discussion and explained that there had been several different complaints. He assured us that if there was evidence; if a name came up regularly, he will take action. If something is proven to be wrong, an officer will be removed from the island.’
NAC councillor Margie Currie warned: ‘You are putting Sergeant MacKay and the police in a difficult position; they are not free to comment. They do a great deal of good work here helping individuals and a lot of their work is not spoken about. Let’s get a balance here.’
Campbell added: ‘The police do a very good job, but sometimes things do go wrong.’
Sergeant MacKay was present and said: ‘Months and months ago this could have been sorted out. There was never any suggestion that it was swept under the carpet.
‘To this day not a single community councillor has been to my office with a formal complaint.’
On Wednesday chief superintendent Fitzpatrick told the Banner: ‘I am crystal clear of what is happening on the island. Sergeant MacKay’s position is in no way under threat; he has my full confidence and support.
‘Where a member of the public is not satisfied with police procedure, we want to hear about it. We will investigate promptly and thoroughly in a structured inquiry. We have heard a lot of third party stuff. Where there is a substantiated complaint against an officer a sanction may be in the redeployment of that officer. We are not even close to that sanction.
‘Arran is a well-policed community. If I had everywhere else policed like Arran, I’d be a happy man.’
Campbell concluded: ‘Mr Fitzpatrick assured us that there is no league table (of police charges) and we accept his word on that. It is up to each individual to take up complaints.’
Chief superintendent Fitzpatrick is expected to attend the community council meeting on Tuesday February 23.
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