Report highlights Scottish Police Authority’s dire need of effective leadership
Your article on 30 December regarding the report by Police Investigations and Review Commissioner Kate Frame into the way in which the Scottish Police Authority deals with complaints makes for distressing reading. If any more evidence is required that the SPA is a dysfunctional organisation this must surely dispel any myths to the contrary.
I have argued for some time that the structure and oversight regime of the SPA and Police Scotland is wrong. It is clear that the SPA does not have what most organisations have; leadership which should have ensured that correct policies and procedures were in place to address complaints regarding senior officers. The PIRC is not beyond criticism itself, but even they have raised grave concerns regarding the way in which the SPA addresses these issues. That 16 complaints which have been judged relevant and not upheld is worrying; clearly many complaints upheld for very good reasons but it beggars belief that none of the 16 should have been upheld.
The PIRC thought that 14 complaints against senior officers should have been progressed as misconduct allegations; only seven were referred to the SPA conduct committee for assessment. It determined that only one of these would amount to misconduct if proven. Given the recent revelations regarding the current chief constable, the early departure of the former chief constable and the suspension of an assistant chief constable, it would be interesting to know whether any of these complaints involved any of these officers. These issues would themselves be worthy of investigation.
One has to ponder the reasons for some of these decisions. Was it that the SPA, through lack of leadership and understanding, failed to ensure that they had staff sufficiently trained to investigate these complaints against senior officers; was it that the SPA were turning a blind eye to allegations in the hope that the problems would go away; or was it that they had been instructed or advised by ministers that Police Scotland must succeed at all costs?
Whether the SPA will ever be able to mount a rigorous investigation into any allegation is a moot point; it is not at all certain that they have people with the necessary skills. We have a new chairwoman who is presiding over an organisation in a state of flux; the SPA is currently seeking new board members. This would present an opportunity to inject some fresh blood with new ideas some of whom hopefully will have an understanding of the complexities of policing. However, will the politicians who make decisions regarding SPA board members be prepared to loosen their grip? Unfortunately the omens are not good. This centrist and controlling Scottish Government will likely want an SPA board that is beholden to them.
The past three years or so have been turbulent for Police Scotland; effective oversight should have helped to smooth the transition to the single force. The failure of oversight lies squarely on the shoulder of the ministers involved.
It will be interesting to see who is appointed in the role of Her Majesty’s Inspector of Policing in Scotland once the incumbent retires in March 2018.
LW TURNBULL Edderston Road, Peebles