The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Senior police officers’ group hits out at watchdogs on time taken for inquiries
Holyrood committee calls for review of SPA and Pirc accountability
The body representing Scotland’s most senior police officers has hit out at watchdogs over “lengthy and damaging” investigations into allegations of misconduct.
The Scottish Chief Police Officers Staff Association (SCPOSA) – which represents Police Scotland’s chief constable, assistant and deputy chief constables – questioned the time it takes the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) to conclude inquiries.
In a submission to Holyrood’s Justice Committee it said “disproportionate, lengthy and damaging inquiries appear to be undertaken with no route of challenge existing”.
The process for investigating allegations against senior officers was set out in the legislation which created Police Scotland as a national force, replacing eight regional bodies.
But SCPOSA said the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 has flaws which have not been addressed, despite concerns being raised with the Scottish Government and SPA.
The committee now examining the impact of the legislation called for a review of the accountability of the SPA and Pirc.
It comes after former chief constable Phil Gormley quit the post in February – five months after being placed on special leave amid investigations into claims of gross misconduct. SCPOSA said Mr Gormley had “resigned before the resolution of the allegations against him despite inquiries having been ongoing for many months”.
SCPOSA “unequivocally recognises the need for a fair, proportionate, transparent and robust system to deal with matters of complaint, misconduct and allegations of criminality in relation to senior officers”.
But the organisation, chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins, also said it “strongly defends the rights of senior officers to be dealt with timeously, sensitively and with a recognition of the high profile and relatively vulnerable position which they hold in the policing of Scotland”.
Mr Higgins had been suspended in November 2017 after allegations of misconduct were made against him – which he denies. He returned to work in March, as investigations continued.
SCPOSA said in the five years since the Act had come into force it had “become increasingly concerned regarding the length of time taken by both the SPA and PIRC to complete what have been seen as relatively straightforward inquiries or assessments”.