The Scottish Government have today announced a huge proposed reform of the Scottish police that will mean the creation of a single combined force.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill says that the move will bring local services to the heart of communities, but critics fear that it will mean less police accountability at a local level.
Under the plans, which will also create a single unified Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, a new Police Service of Scotland will be established with a Chief Constable overseeing designated local police commanders for each local authority area.
The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill will create stronger ties between the police and local authorities, as senior officers will have to have their local plan for policing approved by the council, giving many more councillors a say in the running of their local force than at present.
The service will be independent, with no operational control by government, but still subject to Parliamentary scrutiny through the proposed establishment of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) which will hold the Chief Constable to account.
“Stark reality” of budget cuts from Westminster
Mr MacAskill launched the bill at an event in Galashiels where he cited “budget cuts from Westminster” as one of the key reasons for the reform.
He said, “This Government will not be complacent, we will not compromise on public safety and we will make sure that every community is served and served well.
“The reasons for reform are clear. We need to make a virtue of necessity. Make no mistake – this is the only way to make sure that we don’t lose the major improvements made to police and fire and rescue services in recent years.
“We have devised the strongest possible plans for the future of police and fire services in Scotland which reduce duplication, not the quality of vital services, and deliver estimated efficiency savings of GB pound 1.7 billion over 15 years. Today’s publication of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill follows two consultations and many months of sustained, regular engagement with police, fire and rescue services, boards, authorities and other interested parties.”
Statutory duty
Other key proposals of the Bill are for the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner to handle the investigation of serious incidents and criminal offences involving the police, which will mark an evolution of sorts from the current Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland, currently run by John McNeill.
The police and fire services will both have a statutory duty to provide ‘adequate local services’, and as part of this will agree local plans for policing and fire services with the local authority, setting out priorities, objectives and the practical arrangements for delivering services.
The Justice Secretary called on “all parties to get behind this legislation to secure the future of our police and fire and resuce services.”
The bill, which is available in full here, could be approved and the police force up and running by as early as April 2013, sources said.