Summary
FIT for purpose. The phrase is most commonly associated with the business world. But its application extends far beyond. Any organisation must have the right tools, personnel and structure if it is to do the job properly. That applies equally to Scotland's crime-fighting forces. The battle against organised crime has been augmented by the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency since 2000. Its responsibilities include not just drugs but hi-tech crime, money laundering and witness protection. Graeme Pearson, the director, believes that, as the enemy expands and diversifies, so must his organisation acquire new powers and resources. He put the case for the agency to authorise covert surveillance, take responsibility for its own firearms experts and recruit its own officers, during consultation on the police bill. As The Herald reports today, the agency is to be given authority to recruit its own staff. It is to be given its independence and placed on a statutory footing. The changes make sense.
The agency clearly needs more flexibility and the proposals should deliver greater adaptability.See the full content of this document
Extract
Essential Boost for Crime Fighting
The criminal networks that threaten the stab...
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