Scottish Liberal Democrats set out five key priorities for next Chief Constable

Speaking ahead of Jo Farrell taking office as Police Scotland’s Chief Constable on Monday 9th October, Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has called on the new head of the service to focus on tackling five key priorities that will improve working conditions and boost performance.    

Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling on the new Chief Constable to:    

• Improve working conditions for officers and staff by supporting officer and staff mental health and prioritising modernisation and investment in IT capabilities.    
• Enhance community policing by increasing the influence of communities over the way in which they are policed and addressing concerns that the SNP's centralisations of police services has stripped the service of local knowledge.  
• Work with the Scottish Police Authority to challenge ministers to provide the service with the resources that staff and officers need, particularly in light of reports about cuts to personnel and stations.
• Take tougher action to tackle racism and misogyny by for example, implementing the recommendations of recent reports into the culture of Police Scotland, as well as conducting an urgent review into the recruitment process for the firearms unit.  
• Work with health services on the rollout of mental health specialists, who will work alongside the police and provide more effective management of mental health-related incidents.  

Mr McArthur said:   

“Earlier this week, the Scottish Police Federation warned that lives are at stake because of repeated budget crises in policing. Officers and staff feel unsupported and stretched dangerously thin.  

“To make matters worse, the police watchdog’s recent review has found glaring gaps in the vetting process for officers, highlighting that failures in oversight are not limited to elsewhere in the UK.  

“Jo Farrell must put each of these issues at the very top of her in-tray.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats' vision for the police is one in which officers have the support and resources they need to do their jobs and the local knowledge to deliver for communities.  

“The new Chief Constable must immediately carry out a review of its officers and staff to make sure they have been through the proper vetting process. To root out discriminatory practices and enhance diversity within policing, she must work hard to implement the recommendations of reports by Dame Elish Angiolini and Mark Hamilton.  

“This new leadership could signal a new age for Scottish policing, and I sincerely hope that Jo Farrell seizes that opportunity.”