The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)

Police Scotland’s crime recording called shambolic

Force lacks single method for logging incidents

- Scott milne

Police Scotland has been branded “shambolic” after it emerged the unified force had no single method for recording crimes.

Almost five years on since its creation, the different divisions are still recording incidents in their own ways.

The force is now under investigat­ion by the Scottish Informatio­n Commission­er over its refusal to share details of performanc­e and operations.

A total of 1,043 Freedom of Informatio­n requests have been rejected on the grounds of cost since 2016.

Most refusals were due to the fact that the 13 divisions are still using their own methods to collate data and it would cost too much to process the figures.

Police Scotland said it would be 2026 before the unificatio­n of Scotland’s historical forces is fully completed – 13 years after it took control of policing.

The delivery of a single Scottish police force has been slammed as “shambolic” after it emerged different divisions are still recording crimes in different ways – almost five years after formation.

The Courier can reveal the Scottish Informatio­n Commission­er is investigat­ing the service because of its refusal to share details of performanc­e and operations due to the high cost of collating data from around the country.

Police Scotland said it would be 2026 before the unificatio­n of Scotland’s historical forces is fully completed – 13 years after it took control of policing.

A total of 1,043 Freedom of Informatio­n requests have been rejected on the grounds of cost since 2016.

Most refusals were due to the fact that the 13 divisions are still using their own methods to collate data.

The Courier has had a series of requests rejected because the costs would exceed the £600 threshold due to variations in procedures.

Among the refusals was a bid for informatio­n on the use of armed officers.

Another, seeking data on the number of cannabis factories detected in Scotland, was rejected because the force said it would cost too much to sift through 4,000 crime reports.

A follow-up request to hand over the crime reports was also turned down.

Daniel Johnson, Scottish Labour’s justice spokesman, said: “The SNP government persistent­ly trumpets the benefits of a centralise­d police force – but its shambolic delivery means the reality is very different.

“A lack of investment means policing divisions across Scotland are not able to record the most basic data in a consistent and, more importantl­y, usable fashion.”

Daren Fitzhenry, the Scottish Informatio­n Commission­er, said he was intervenin­g in Police Scotland practice under his enforcemen­t policy.

“The focus is their practices in searching for and locating informatio­n to respond to informatio­n requests,” he said. “This aims to address concerns, including the authority’s use of the ‘excessive costs’ provision in FOI law.

“The authority has agreed to a demanding action plan and we are monitoring its implementa­tion.”

The Scottish Government and Scottish Police Authority (SPA) referred questions to Police Scotland.

A Police Scotland spokeswoma­n said: “Every legacy force brought with them their own systems and data services, often different from others in operation.

“The introducti­on of the single force led to a major transforma­tional programme of change being created to consolidat­e and streamline the pre-existing systems, with the aim to have one single source of informatio­n across the force.”

She said the Serving a Changing Scotland, Transforma­tion Strategy (2026) had reaffirmed the need for a single system of reporting and the force was working towards this target.

“A range of new operationa­l systems have been rolled out nationally,” she added. “Our Digitally Enabled Policing Programme, has been establishe­d to drive forwards delivery in this area.”

The creation of Police Scotland was supposed to lead to greater efficienci­es and a level playing field for communitie­s across the country. So today’s revelation that the single national force has yet to introduce a standardis­ed method of collecting and recording data – almost five years after it was created – does not inspire confidence.

Since 2016, a total of 1,043 Freedom of Informatio­n requests to Police Scotland have been refused on the grounds of expense, mostly because the 13 divisions are still using their own methods to collate data.

One inquiry from The Courier was turned down because the force said it would cost too much to sift through 4,000 different crime reports.

This is not just about obstacles being put in the way of reporters.

The Scottish Informatio­n Commission­er has told us he too is investigat­ing the force’s refusal to share details of its performanc­e.

And without ready access to reliable informatio­n on crime figures, how can Police Scotland measure its work, identify trends and adapt to the demands of society?

Bosses say they have a strategy to put systems in place by 2026 – eight years from now and 13 years after unificatio­n was supposed to have happened.

Perhaps a little urgency is in order if the unified force is serious about showing it can live up to its promise.

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