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TRAINING - FIRST AID |
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45. That First Aid training for all "public contact" police officers (including senior officers) should at once be reviewed and revised to ensure that they have basic skills to apply First Aid. Officers must be taught to "think first aid", and first and foremost "A (Airways), B (Breathing) and C (Circulation)". 46. That training in First Aid including refresher training should include testing to recognised and published standards in every Police Service. 47. That Police Services should annually review First Aid training, and ensure that "public contact" officers are trained and tested to recognised and published standards. |
Accept During basic training all probationer constables receive First Aid training to St Andrew's Ambulance Association standards at the Scottish Police College. Thereafter training is provided by forces. There is a variety of practices, but public contact officers do not receive regular refresher First Aid training. ACPOS Personnel and Training Committee will produce agreed national standards for basic First Aid skills, minimum effective training levels and a national training strategy. It will also carry out an impact assessment of the implications of such a strategy for the Scottish Police Service. Lead responsibility: ACPOS |
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TRAINING - RACISM AWARENESS AND VALUING CULTURAL DIVERSITY |
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48. That there should be an immediate review and revision of racism awareness training within Police Services to ensure:-
49. That all police officers, including CID and civilian staff, should be trained in racism awareness and valuing cultural diversity. 50. That police training and practical experience in the field of racism awareness and valuing cultural diversity should regularly be conducted at local level. And that it should be recognised that local minority ethnic communities should be involved in such training and experience. 51. That consideration be given by Police Services to promoting joint training with members of other organisations or professions otherwise than on police premises. 52. That the Home Office together with Police Services should publish recognised standards of training aims and objectives in the field of racism awareness and valuing cultural diversity. 53. That there should be independent and regular monitoring of training within all Police Services to test both implementation and achievement of such training. |
Accept Training in racism awareness is conducted within the Scottish Police Service both nationally, at the Scottish Police College, and locally by individual forces. The level of training given locally varies and is under review in a number of forces. The Scottish Police Service is committed to improving training in the area of racial awareness and equal opportunities. Local training initiatives, with the involvement of local minority ethnic communities, are likely to be most effective, but there is a scope for a nationally agreed policy. However, training in racism awareness is not the definitive solution to tackling racism within the Police Service, but must be part of a wider process, including recruitment, conduct, promotion, and management skills, to ensure the Police Service can tackle race problems within society with credibility. ACPOS Personnel and Training Committee will take forward these recommendations in consultation with the Scottish Executive. The first step will be to await the outcome of the ACPOS National Equal Opportunities Training Strategy Working Group which is due to report later this year. ACPOS will also be maintaining contact with the project being carried out in England and Wales to deliver this training. Lead responsibility: ACPOS
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54. That consideration be given to a review of the provision of training in racism awareness and valuing cultural diversity in local Government and other agencies including other sections of the Criminal Justice system. |
Accept The Race Relations Forum referred to in the Home Secretary's response to this recommendation is a UK-wide body with Scottish representation. The Scottish Executive will therefore keep in touch with the cross-cutting review of racism awareness training being carried out under the Home Office over the next 18 months. However, we will also consider what other, Scottish, initiatives should be pursued. For example, the Crown Office has recently enhanced the racial and cultural awareness training for new members of the Procurator Fiscal Service, and is holding a seminar for existing members, in collaboration with the CRE, in the autumn. Lead responsibility: Scottish Executive |
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EMPLOYMENT, DISCIPLINE AND COMPLAINTS |
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55. That the changes to Police Disciplinary and Complaints procedures proposed by the Home Secretary should be fully implemented and closely and publicly monitored as to their effectiveness. |
Accept New Police Conduct and Efficiency Regulations were introduced in Scotland in 1996 which brought in the changes implemented more recently in England and Wales, with the exception of "fast track" procedures for officers caught committing criminal offences. The Regulations are constantly reviewed and amended when necessary. ACPOS Conduct and Discipline Committee is monitoring the experience of fast tracking arrangements in England and Wales. Lead responsibility: ACPOS |
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56. That in order to eliminate the present provision which prevents disciplinary action after retirement, disciplinary action should be available for at least five years after an officer's retirement.
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Requires further consideration There are potential problems with attempting to discipline officers who have left the service or retired. It would be better to prevent officers retiring while facing disciplinary hearings, and this is being considered in a UK-wide review of police pensions. However, the Scottish Executive will keep in close contact with the Home Office on this recommendation, and on the possibility of forfeiture of pensions suggested in the Home Secretary's action plan. Lead responsibility: Scottish Executive |
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57. That the Police Services should through the implementation of a Code of Conduct or otherwise ensure that racist words or acts proved to have been spoken or done by police officers should lead to disciplinary proceedings, and that it should be understood that such conduct should usually merit dismissal. |
Accept Although there are no specific offences of racist speech or acts in the Police Conduct Regulations in Scotland, such behaviour would fall within the definition of misconduct: Conduct likely to bring discredit on the police force or service, including action towards, or treating, any person in an oppressive or improper manner. ACPOS Personnel and Training Committee will prepare guidance for forces on what constitutes inappropriate behaviour or language, including racist words or acts. Lead responsibility: ACPOS |
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58. That the Home Secretary, taking into account the strong expression of public perception in this regard, consider what steps can and should be taken to ensure that serious complaints against police officers are independently investigated. Investigation of police officers by their own or another Police Service is widely regarded as unjust, and does not inspire public confidence. |
Accept recommendation to consider In Scotland criminal complaints against the police are independently pursued by the procurator fiscal who can direct police investigations. In addition, both the police authority and HMIC have to keep themselves informed as to how complaints, both criminal and non-criminal, are investigated and dealt with. HMIC can also scrutinise the process of investigating individual complaints. While the Scottish Executive believes that this system generally provides fair and impartial investigation of complaints, it recognises the need to address public perception identified by the Macpherson Report. The Scottish Executive will therefore liaise with the Home Office about the feasibility study it is carrying out into this recommendation and on its conclusions when it reports in April 2000. Lead responsibility: Scottish Executive |
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59. That the Home Office review and monitor the system and standards of Police Services applied to the selection and promotion of officers of the rank of Inspector and above. Such procedures for selection and promotion to be monitored and assessed regularly. |
Accept in principle In Scotland forces are currently responsible for selecting and promoting officers up to and including Chief Superintendent, and ensuring these procedures are satisfactory. This aspect of force performance is inspected by HMIC. ACPOS Personnel and Training Committee is already examining this area. ACPOS will liaise with ACPO in England and Wales over the work being done on leadership. The Scottish Executive will also consider its recommendations when they are produced in December 1999. Lead responsibility: ACPOS |
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