Anyone else read the various press reports about policing issues at the recent games in Glasgow? Members of my family are police officers and even they are shocked at some of this.
Here's one of the reports (Scottish Herald)
Police chiefs in Scotland stand accused of pushing cops to “breaking point” on Commonwealth Games duty — as it was claimed some officers are working mammoth 14-hour shifts without breaks.
Whistleblowers said they were aware that two of their stressed colleagues wet and messed themselves when they were denied time off to use the toilet.
Others are said to have gone without food or water during day-long patrols.
Last night, Scottish Police Federation leaders confirmed they were investigating and had raised a list of complaints with Chief Constable Sir Stephen House’s senior team. One of the complaints related to reports that two officers had "accidents" whilst in uniform.
One source said: "A WPC had to resort to using some bushes as a toilet whilst patrolling a perimeter fence on a 12-hour shift after being denied a comfort break and we know of a young male officer who found the wait for relief unbearable and wet himself in the middle of the busy Buchanan Street.
"Another officer, who was suffering from a stomach upset and had requested to be located close to a loo, soiled himself in public after being repeatedly denied access to a portable toilet as he did not have the correct accreditation pass. He had been denied a break — despite asking five times.”
The source also claimed exhausted bobbies have had to take the wheel of vehicles. Another insider said dozens of officers destined for Glasgow were left standing for hours at a park-and-ride point on the edge of Dunfermline after a transport blunder. The source described cops as “dangerously tired, overworked and demoralised”.
Federation chairman Brian Docherty stressed officers were doing a “fantastic job” despite facing a string of problems. He confirmed that some have complained about the conditions but insisted force chiefs were “doing their best” to sort out the situation.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said they had looked into claims about an officer wetting himself and had not yet been able to identify the constable said to be involved.
She was adamant police teams do have access to water. And she said a “small number” of officers due to travel from Dunfermline were delayed for a “short period due to a “minor transport issue”.
