‘Give police body cams to help clear up complaints’
BODY cameras should be available to police officers to help crack down on complaints, Scotland’s Chief Constable has said.
Iain Livingstone called for funding to equip personnel with the kit.
A recent report by Scotland’s former top law officer, Dame Elish Angiolini, recommended an overhaul of the police complaints system and said that body-worn video cameras would help to limit or resolve complaints from the public.
Addressing a virtual board meeting of the Scottish Police Authority, Mr Livingstone said: ‘It is essential that appropriate and ongoing funding is made available... the implementation of [cameras] within policing has wider benefits for the justice system, for prosecutors, for defence agents, for courts and for the public.’
It comes after the independent review by Dame Elish looked at complaint handling, investigations and misconduct issues.
She said she was ‘deeply concerned’ by the experience of Police Scotland’s black, Asian and minority ethnic officers, some of whom said they had experienced discrimination in the course of their duties, as had some female, gay and transgender officers.
Responding to Dame Elish’s findings, Mr Livingstone said the force plans to appoint an equality tsar to provide ‘ independent support to help it better understand the experiences of minority groups in the service’.
Dame Elish also recommended an independent review into equality in Police Scotland.
Mr Livingstone said: ‘Racism and discrimination of any kind is deplorable and unacceptable, and I utterly condemn it. It has no place in society and no place in the police service of Scotland.’
He added it is ‘crucial’ that the culture of Police Scotland is welcoming and inclusive to all.
Meanwhile, the Chief Constable also backed the use of drones – which he called ‘unmanned or
‘Benefits for the justice system’
unpersonned air support’. But he said there were ‘legitimate’ questions about privacy matters.
Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said drones ‘have never been used for covert surveillance’.
The ‘vast majority’ of deployments have been to search for missing persons or ‘routine photographic assignments’ after an incident.
Mr Graham added that a drone was used at the scene of the train derailment in Stonehaven, Kincardineshire, in August.
On a ‘very small number’ of occasions they have been used to monitor crowds but only in consultation with people in the area affected.
Mr Graham said: ‘There is further potential for us to debate where the use [of drones] could be extended and there are some broader issues about that balance between intrusion into privacy and rights that people have, and our absolute legitimate necessity and obligation to keep people safe.’
The Scottish Tories have pushed for action on Dame Elish’s report, which was released this month. It made 81 recommendations, including increasing oversight powers for watchdog the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner.
Yesterday, Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr said the SNP’s reaction to the report had been ‘worrying’.
Speaking at Holyrood, he said: ‘What has been the SNP’s response? A bland press release which contained little more than bland platitudes and completely lacked any firm commitment to act.’
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said the Scottish Government would take time to review the recommendations and would make any legislative amendments deemed necessary.