Police call-handling now ‘better than ever’

MSPs told of revamp following action call after deaths of John Yuill and Lamara Bell in M9 car crash

Police call-handling has continued to improve and is now “better-placed than ever” to serve Scotland’s communities, the Justice Secretary has told MSPs.

Michael Matheson said all recommendations from a major review of the service have been completed, with the force revising its staffing model for controlrooms and improving training and IT systems.

A new dedicated quality assurance unit and “notable incidents” process have also been put in place to allow Police Scotland to learn from those calls which have not been handled as they should have been.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) was tasked with carrying out the review following the deaths of John Yuill and Lamara Bell in July 2015.

The couple lay undiscovered for days after a crash on the M9 near Stirling despite a sighting of their wrecked car being reported to a police control-room.

It uncovered weaknesses in Police Scotland’s approach to implementing its new national call-handling system, which has seen a number of controlrooms closed.

An audit of calls also highlighted inconsistencies in the way incidents are handled.

It further discovered staffing levels at Bilston Glen – where the call regarding the M9 crash was received – were insufficient and had resulted in poor call-handling performance.

Mr Matheson said: “Following HM Inspectorate’s detailed review and recommendations, Police Scotland has undertaken far-reaching work to ensure call-handling is effective and robust.

“As a result, Scotland now has an approach that will allow the public to experience the full benefits that come with a single, unified police service.”

HMICS’s latest report also makes a further eight recommendations, including further IT investment, a public contact strategy and a procedure manual for the contact, command and control (C3) division.

Mr Matheson added: “”There is no room for complacency and the reality is that call-handling is a human activity and on rare occasions mistakes can and will occur. What is essential is that the risks are minimised and the impact of any such events is mitigated.”

The report was welcomed by opposition parties but they called for police resources to be looked at.

Conservative MSP Liam Kerr asked Mr Matheson to commit to making cash available in the long-term to support the upgrading of “crucial” IT technology.

He also called for regular data on notable incidents to be published, “so we can monitor the level of mistakes and Police Scotland’s progress in reducing them”. Labour’s Daniel Johnson said police officer numbers were “the biggest single barrier in terms of their ability to respond to calls”.

It is a human activity and on rare occasions mistakes can and will occur. What is essential is that risks are minimised. MICHAEL MATHESON

John Yuill and Lamara Bell lay undiscovered for days despite a sighting of their wrecked car being reported to a police control room after a crash on the M9 near Stirling