Tories denied yesterday that creating directly elected police board conveners would result in undue political control over chief constables.
The party wants to spend £35m to take on an extra 1500 officers and cut red tape so that more personnel can be put directly on the beat.
However, deputy leader Murdo Fraser also wants to see league tables of crime and a system of accountability where the buck stops on the desk of the elected police board chief.
Mr Fraser said: "We will require our forces to publish regular, localised crime statistics so communities can assess crime trends in their area and we will require the convener of police boards to stand for election by the people.
"If crime is down, they can expect to keep their job. If it is up, they can expect to be replaced. They would be directly elected by the people and that would make them directly accountable."
Mr Fraser said it should be for board conveners to make broad strategic decisions, while chief constables would decide operational matters.
"Somebody should be responsible for setting the strategy for policing at a local level and that is the job of the police board convener,"
he said.
"That's why we think they should be held accountable directly to the public."
Mr Fraser said putting more police on the streets had brought dramatic results in New York, adding: "Labour have had eight years leading the administration in the Scottish Parliament to sort out the problems of crime.
"Crime and offences are up under Labour's watch so I think we have to take with a very strong pinch of salt anything they say on this issue."
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