A senior police officer has launched a stinging attack on a “misleading impression” of Scotland’s forces.
In an open letter, Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPS) president Chief Superintendent David O’Connor said he strongly refuted “the suggestion that police in Scotland have lost the trust of the people of Scotland”.
It follows comments earlier this week from Scottish Police Authority (SPA) chairman Vic Emery, who said the country’s new single police force will be monitored closely to ensure there are no cover-ups of situations like the Hillsborough disaster.
Mr Emery said the SPA, which is tasked with scrutinising the single force, will work closely with the Police Investigation and Review Commission (PIRC), which will investigate serious wrongdoings in the service. He added while Scotland has not experienced the scandals seen by police services in England, it should not be assumed they could not happen.
Labour MSP Graeme Pearson, a former police officer and director-general of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, said Mr Emery’s comments were “clumsy”.
“It’s unhealthy that we have these concerns being expressed at such a late period of the launch,” he said.
“Mr Emery has used a very clumsy way to introduce his function in terms of the authority but I would like to think the chief constable and convener of the authority have worked out their relationship properly.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Policing in Scotland is performing excellently.
“Crime is at a 37-year low and clear-up rates are the highest in a decade thanks to the dedication and professionalism of the police service protecting our communities.
“The police service, SPA and Government all agree that scrutiny and accountability is vital to ensure policing in Scotland continues to perform well and maintain the trust of the public.”