Review - Strathclyde Police
- Reference:
- PCCS-0810-00184-PF-SP
- Police Body:
- Strathclyde Police
- Date:
- 8 October 2008
- Download:
- Download Review - Strathclyde Police
The complainer requested that the PCCS review the handling of four complaints about Strathclyde Police. He raised a number of issues relating to a complaint that he made to the force on October 2003, which included failure to investigate his complaints about the police which he initiated in 2003; failure by the force to provide a satisfactory response to his complaints about individual officers, that contact between a police officer and the complainer's lawyer was inappropriate and that the length of time taken by Strathclyde Police to respond to the complainer's complaints was too long.
The PCCS was of the view that Strathclyde Police mishandled a complaint alleging threats made by a serving police officer, allowing it to drag on for more than five years. After a detailed review the Commissioner was unclear whether this was down to maladministration, incompetence or a desire to avoid thorough investigation of the complaint. The PCCS was also concerned that Strathclyde Police, over a period of around 6 months, provided inconsistent and conflicting updates to the office and to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.
The Commissioner also noted that it was circumstances such as these that can cause disquiet about police investigating complaints about the police. Therefore, as part of the general review of their current procedures which the Commissioner had asked all forces to carry out, he stated that Strathclyde Police should revisit this case, assess where and why they fell short of acceptable standards and learn lessons from it.