Aberdeen North MSP Brian Adam has pledged to write to Scotland’s top police chiefs to ask them how they deal with rogue travellers.
He made the promise to about 100 Dyce residents who attended a meeting to hear what the local authority and Grampian Police were doing to tackle the issue.
It was organised to discuss the possibility of blocking off access to the riverside area to prevent travellers from setting up camp there.
Many local people said they were keen to ensure that pedestrian access was maintained at the site, and suggested blocking off vehicular access with mounds of earth.
Mr Adam said: “The meeting was extremely well-attended, with about 100 people there.
“All kinds of issues were raised by the locals – a recurring one being that there seems to be a difference in the application to laws with regard to this group than the settled population.”
The SNP MSP has already written to Aberdeen City Council and Grampian Police to see if they think current laws and guidelines set out by the Scottish Government are adequate.
He has also urged Housing Minister Alex Neil to review the law so the authorities can evict rogue travellers more quickly.
During the meeting at Dyce Community Centre he explained the Trespass (Scotland) Act 1865 and a number of other laws covering the non-harassment of traveller groups.
Mr Adam said: “There was a government policy in place from 1977 but it was superseded in 2000, when it became policy for the local councils and police forces to work out their own way of tackling the issue.
“All the policy was dispensed with as far as the UK Government was concerned, but in practice I think police are still adhering to it.”
He added that in 2004, local authorities and police forces throughout Scotland were given additional guidance on dealing with travellers – and that he was going to write to the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos) to find out their policy.
He said: “There’s a genuine public concern here about repeated problems caused by this group.
I am going to write to Acpos and ask to see if their guidance for forces around the country is working – because as far as the general public are concerned, it’s not working.”
A second meeting for members of the Dyce community to hear what is being done to prevent travellers from using the Riverview Drive site is likely to be held in the coming months.