Clash of personalities hampered Police Scotland set-up

A report has revealed how “difficult relationships” between police and the Scottish Government at senior level hampered the establishment of a single force.

Audit Scotland has ordered the Scottish Government, the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland to work on improving relations if it is to make progress on the future. In its ‘Police reform’ audit, the organisation said planning the national police force was “hampered” by “poor information, a lack of clarity about roles, and difficult relationships” between the three bodies.

Concerns were also raised about the lack of a long-term financial strategy, with auditors warning that some savings may need to be increased in future years.

As it stands, Police Scotland intends to save £1.1 billion by 2026, but Audit Scotland said it was far from clear how this would be achieved. The Scottish Government should carry out a “lessons learned” exercise following the move, the report said, it also expressed fears about savings estimates being based on an outline, rather than a full, business case.

The criticism comes weeks after Police Scotland announced it was to close station front counters right across the country, despite some facilities receiving thousands of visits from members of the public every year. Scottish Conservative justice spokeswoman Margaret Mitchell MSP said: 

“This is a damning report which reveals how egos at senior level threatened the whole process.

“That is a ludicrous state of affairs which should never have been allowed to happen.

“The Scottish Government needs to ensure people in all these organisations work together amicably, otherwise the benefits of a single force may never be realised.

“It is also astonishing that no long-term financial plan has been detailed.

“Clearly, if you state savings of more than £1 billion will be made in the space of little over a decade, then self- evidently you should be able to show how this is to be achieved.

“Given one of Police Scotland’s first moves was to shut down police stations to the public across the whole country and propose the closure of still more, the publication of this report hardly inspires confidence in the changes envisaged by those in charge.”