Police chief insists force ‘not in chaos’
New boss denies crisis on his first day in top job
SCOTLAND’S new c hi e f constable took charge of the country’s troubled single force yesterday – and denied it was an ‘organisation in chaos’.
Phil Gormley, former deputy director of the National Crime Agency, has taken over as police chief from Sir Stephen House, who quit in November after a string of scandals.
After a swearing-in ceremony at Tulliallan Police College near Kincardine, Fife, Mr Gormley said there were ‘significant challenges’ ahead but stressed that the beleaguered force was not in complete crisis.
‘I don’t think everything is broken – this is not an organisation in chaos,’ he said. ‘ There are some significant challenges but what we need to do is work with communities to develop services that i mprove the quality of people’s lives, and that’s my absolute commitment.’
He added: ‘ There will be difficult decisions but I think I
In charge: New chief constable Gormley greets officers understand how t o make those sorts of decisions. I will be spending the first few weeks of my tenure getting out and talking to as many staff as possible.
‘That will inform how we meet this challenge and how we deliver the best possible service to the people of Scotland.’
Mr Gormley also addressed the threat of terrorism in Scotland. He said: ‘I think we have seen across Europe and across the world that the threat that we face now is very different from that which went before.
‘We need to make sure that we have the capability in Scotland to prepare and respond to these sorts of incidents.’
He also warned of a ‘challenging financial environment’ and acknowledged that the force has faced problems, saying that ‘much has been achieved in the first few years of Police Scotland but there is more to be done’.
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said there is still scope for budget cuts at Police Scotl and despite warnings f rom within his own party that ‘ the pips are beginning to squeak’.
Mr Matheson confirmed that the additional £17.6million he provided for front line policing, and £55million for reform in the next financial year does not let Police Scotland ‘off the hook’ in its ‘efficiency’ drive.
Police Scotland is still struggling to balance its books by the end of this financial year.
Nationalist MSP Gil Paterson said: ‘ We have heard that the pips are beginning to squeak. Is there an expectation from the Government that this can be achieved?’
Mr Matheson said: ‘ There is still scope for efficiencies to be found. There are still areas of bureaucracy which I think could be alleviated, and there are areas where f urther gains can be maintained.’