Moves to improve personal safety of Highland councillors on agenda
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Two Highland councillors have called for a “personal safety audit” for members after the May elections amid greater awareness of what they call the “inherent personal risk” in doing their jobs.
Councillors Pippa Hadley and Bill Lobban have tabled the motion to be heard at today’s full meeting of Highland Council.
It comes just nearly a fortnight since Kingussie man Mark MacDonald was jailed for a year at Inverness Sheriff Court for assault, threatening or abusive behaviour and acting in a racially aggravated manner and assault towards Councillor Hadley.
He had ranted at her that she and other “Commie, leftist Green cows” should be put up against a wall and shot in the incident last October in the town.
The councillors state in the motion: “There is an increasing awareness of the inherent personal risk that is attached to a public position but there has been little ongoing discussion on how this risk presents and how it can be minimised considering existing and emerging threats.”
“As a council we perform best when we have a broad and diverse representation elected to position, and with recognition of the need to ensure that the role is open to a broad a range of candidates.”
They have called on the council to undertake a personal safety audit for the new elected members, and to taking an individual based approach to supporting this in a practical fashion.
The pair also want an council-wide education programme giving information, practical advice and current best practice in both preventing and dealing with personal threats and to ensure a working communication system is put in place and is connected to Police Scotland’s current system of vulnerable persons alert.
