New broom to bring change of attitude

Nearly five years after it was created, Police Scotland still does not have the full trust of the public. Scotland’s national force has been bedevilled by problems since the country’s eight historic forces were merged in 2013.

The Scottish Police Authority, the watchdog that is supposed to monitor and scrutinise its operation and spending, has fared little better.

So when former Health Secretary Susan Deacon was appointed chairwoman of the SPA a fortnight ago, she could have been forgiven for wondering exactly why she had agreed to take the job.

Scotland’s top policeman, chief constable Phil Gormley is on special leave while allegations of bullying made against him are investigated while the SPA itself was slammed in a report by Audit Scotland.

Ms Deacon has vowed to make the SPA – and by extension Police Scotland itself – more outward looking.

By this she means both organisations will be more willing to discuss changes in public and to take steps to address concerns from the public when they arise.

These sound like simple and obvious steps yet Police Scotland, in particular, has been stumbling from crisis to crisis since its inception.

Ms Deacon, in the chair for her first board meeting yesterday, will hopefully usher in a new area of openness – and competence – for both organisations.