This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Next steps on police complaints
24/06/2004
The way Scotland's police forces handle complaints
against their officers is to be reviewed, it was announced
today.
A multi-agency group led by Jane Irvine - a former lay
inspector with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary -
will carry out the review.
The group's report will inform the Executive's plans to
establish an independent police complaints body.
The group will:
• Review conduct regulations affecting all police
officers from cadet to chief constable, as recommended in
the HMIC report on police complaints, published today.
• Bring forward proposals for a legal framework for
conduct and discipline which will meet the needs of a
modern police complaints system.
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said:
"Today's HMIC report shows that considerable progress is
being made by the Scottish police service in strengthening
the existing framework for handling police complaints.
However, more work still needs to be done - locally and
nationally - to modernise the complaints system and build
public trust.
"The Executive has already pledged to set up a new
independent police complaints body within the lifetime of
this Parliament. We will also work with police forces,
Cosla and the COPFS to take forward many of the key
recommendations in HMIC's report.
"I can today announce that I will be appointing a
short-life working group to review, and bring forward
proposals to reform the regulations on police conduct and
discipline. These date back to 1966 and policing has
changed a great deal since then - and so too has the
public's expectations of the service. This group's work
will enable us to legislate for these changes and the
creation of the new police complaints body.
"Together these measures will help us create a modern
police conduct and complaints system, worthy of a 21st
century employer. It will ensure both police officers and
the public can continue to have confidence in the police
service and that we create a more fair and open system for
dealing with these issues - a system which encourages a
move away from appointing blame for blame's sake, to one
which enables people to learn from their mistakes and move
on."
In 2000, HMIC published A Fair Cop - a report on the
handling of police complaints in Scotland, in light of the
recommendations arising from the report into the death of
Stephen Lawrence.
The latest report, Quality of Service - A Review of the
Investigation of Complaints Against the Police in Scotland,
welcomes proposals made to address recommendations in that
earlier report but also points the way forward - in line
with the Executive's stated commitment to set up an
independent police complains body.
One of the key recommendations in today's HMIC report is
for the Executive to review the conduct of regulations
affecting all police officers. This will be conducted by
the short-life working group announced today which will
include representatives from the police, Cosla, and Crown
Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
HMIC also recommends that the Scottish Executive in
consultation with police authorities, should carry out a
national evaluation of lay visitor schemes. While the
development of these custody visiting schemes is an early
stage, the Executive believes they are a practical and
constructive way of brining community views to bear on how
the police go about their business. A national evaluation
of local arrangements will therefore follow in due
course.