From Facebook. This was a bit of a wtf moment for me. The police should not be handing their duties out to volunteers, but especially not to religious volunteers. This is not appropriate and I am in more than half a mind to complain.
I would worry hugely for my trans offspring knowing they are patrolling if she was out at night in Dumfries.
@Alternatecelt we can’t assume SPs are anti-trans (and would act on it in volunteering) any more than we can assume it of police. Also, tasks listed in the post aren’t police jobs (and I’d worry if they were). Knowing a few SPs they effectively just look after vulnerable people and help them be safe. They don’t do any job remotely connected to policing (thank goodness). Of course, we shouldn’t depend on volunteers for social aid, and a booze-fuelled society should be solved not merely mitigated.
@simonvarwell
Patrolling the streets at night is pretty much the most basic policing task. That's what Robert Peel created his force to do.
Secondly, Police have many more checks and balances on their behaviour ( and still harbour bad people, See Sheku Bayou) and have not signed up to a set of beliefs that may bias them against the vulnerable people they are coming across.
Volunteers doing things that police and social services should be doing is not a healthy thing.
@Alternatecelt true. They don’t patrol the streets the way the police do, and there is extensive training (in which the police are heavily involved), and nor does quite every religious organisation sign up to biased beliefs, but I do get where your concerns come from. Merry and restful Christmas to you and yours!