SCOTTISH Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie is to call for people to have a say in how Scotland’s police force is run following a series of controversial policies since the creation of the national police force.

In a speech to the party’s Autumn Conference in Dunfermline today (Saturday), Mr Rennie will point to new figures which show police carrying guns used stop and search powers 8000 times in just one year.

Scottish Liberal Democrats led the opposition to the nationwide roll-out of this policy and campaigned successfully for it to be scrapped.

Mr Rennie is expected to say, “This week I asked the new First Minister Nicola Sturgeon about the use of stop-and-search. I told her that we now know stop and search is seven times higher in Scotland than south of the border. “But just this week Edinburgh University highlighted that police carrying guns used stop and search powers 8,000 times in just one year.

“That's over 150 searches every week by officers carrying guns on routine duties.

“Now the Chief Constable has taken all armed officers off routine duties. However, that decision could be reversed at any moment. Without notice and without consultation. We know, because that’s what happened last time.

“So Alison McInnes has rightly called for the powers of the Chief Constable to be set down. For the checks and balances to be strong. For people to have a say in how our police force is run.

“A police force with no democracy is no police force for a democracy.

“The relationship between our communities and our police is something we must cherish. And something Liberal Democrats will make stronger.”