Complaint level falls for police despite Games

COMPLAINTS against Police Scotland dropped 10 per cent this summer despite the force’s biggest-ever mobilisation for the Commonwealth Games.

Police Scotland carried out 109,000 deployments for the Glasgow event, bringing officers into contact with the public far more than normal.

But the force received just 1,433 complaints from April through to the end of July, down by 163 from the same four months last year. Crucially the number of specific allegations fell even further, by 30 per cent, to just over 2,000.

There were just 36 complaints, which usually contain more than one allegation, directly relating to the Games and the Queen’s Baton Relay. Senior officers had emphasised officers had to be on their best behaviour for the showcase events.

Chief Superintendent Ellie Mitchell, of the force’s professional standards division, called the low number of complaints “very positive”.

She said over the 51 days of the relay and Games, greater interaction with the public would make it “not have been unreasonable to expect a higher volume of complaints.”

She added: “That the number of complaints received was relatively low and in most cases of a minor nature perhaps demonstrates the approach adopted by Police Scotland to policing the event was entirely appropriate.”

Thousands of people saw the baton relay between June and July and several million watched the Games.

Of the 38 complaints, eight were wrongly addressed. Of the remaining 28, 16 were resolved on the front line, two were resolved after investigation and 10 remain under investigation.

Of the 1,433 complaints more than half related to improper procedure or incivility.

There were 21 allegations of discrimination and 11 of corrupt practice.