Review bid to gather experiences of dealing with police

PEOPLE in Scotland have been urged to describe their experiences of dealing with police in a move to build public confidence in the service.

An independent review by former Lord Advocate Dame Elish Angiolini is scrutinising the arrangements in Scotland for complaints handling, investigations and misconduct in relation to policing.

Evidence is to be gathered from members of the public, former and serving police officers, and a wide range of organisations.

A review was announced after concerns were raised over the way in which investigations are carried out into senior police officers, including former chief constable Phil Gormley.

Mr Gormley resigned five months after a series of probes had begun into allegations of gross misconduct.

The review, which was jointly commissioned by Justice Secretary Michael Matheson and Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC, aims to make recommendations to improve transparency and strengthen confidence in policing in Scotland.

Dame Elish said: “I have been asked by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and the Lord Advocate to make recommendations to help strengthen public confidence in policing in Scotland.

“Only by listening to a broad range of views and looking at the respective roles and practices of Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will I be able to achieve that.”