The decision by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) to maintain the ban on routinely armed policing has been hailed by the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
The SPA today confirmed that Police Scotland would not revert to the model of police officers overtly carrying sidearms whilst attending routine duties.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats, who had campaigned against Police Scotland carrying guns commented on the decision.
Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Alison McInnes said: “This double-endorsement of our opposition to routinely armed police – first by HMICS, and then by the SPA – is a victory for local communities. There will be no routinely armed police in Scotland.
“Scottish Liberal Democrats could never endorse a move which would undermine fundamentally the principle of policing by consent. This illiberal action was made worse by the manner in which it was foisted upon communities.
“The SPA’s wider reflection on the handling of this issue shows that armed policing is a test case of “operational responsibility.” Much more work needs to be done to set out the operational boundaries and responsibilities if scrutiny is to be effective.”
