Rank-and-file police officers have expressed ”serious concern” about whether Scotland’s new single force will be up and running on schedule.
The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents 18,500 officers across Scotland, said delay in appointing a chief constable could cause problems during the vital early stages of the new organisation.
The Scottish Parliament has passed legislation merging the eight regional forces into one national organisation, but Brian Docherty, chairman of the SPF, said the new force might not be ready in time for the proposed launch date of April 2013.
He said the delay in filling the chief constable role meant key management decisions could not be taken and would inevitably cause delays.
The Scottish Government has outlined plans to appoint the chief constable by December, but Mr Docherty insisted this was too late.
”The appointment should be made in the summer,” he claimed. ”I can understand why Scottish ministers do not want to exert undue influence, but it is surely possible for them to appoint an independent panel to manage the appointment process on this first occasion.
”Major change like this always causes massive upheaval and we should do what we can to avoid that as much as possible.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie, who opposes the creation of a single force, backed the SPF’s warning.
”The paralysis that this reorganisation will create could have a huge impact on crime fighting in local communities,” he said. ”The Scottish Government needs to give urgent assurances over what it is doing to ensure that this will not be the case.”
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: ”Appointing a chief constable soon needs to be balanced with ensuring the process is as open and transparent as possible and getting the right person for this very important post so that everyone can have confidence in the leadership of the new service.
”We have responded to concerns previously raised by the federation and others that this should not be a political appointment by making clear in the Police and Fire Reform Bill that the Scottish Police Authority, not ministers, will appoint the chief constable.”