Scottish police force to link up with Polish officers

Police Scotland visited Warsaw for talks that could lead to a number of Polish National Police officers seconded to Scotland. Another initiative could see a network of Scots police officers established with a specific remit of engaging with Scotland’s Polish community.

Polish migrants make up Scotland’s largest migrant community, with 55,000 people reporting a Polish ethnicity in the 2011 census.

Jean Urquhart MSP, who chairs Holyrood’s cross-party group on Poland, said talks were “still at an early stage of development”, but that Police Scotland officers met with the head of international co-operation at the Polish National Police to “discuss the possibility of seconding two officers from Polish National Police to assist Police Scotland to better serve the Polish community and wider community in Scotland”.

Chief superintendent Grant Manders said: “Police Scotland has a successful track record of engaging with minority communities. The Polish community is our largest minority community and of course this means that our officers encounter Poles in a variety of situations.

“We regularly review how we interact with our new and minority communities and in this regard we work with members of these communities, whether they are our own staff, official representatives from the consuls or embassies, or law enforcement colleagues from the countries of origin.

“We enjoy very positive relationships with the Polish Consular staff and our colleagues in the Polish police, and are in regular dialogue with them on a variety of matters.”