Police Scotland’s One Year Anniversary

That the Parliament applauds what it considers the excellent work of police officers and staff in South Scotland and throughout the country; considers that they have maintained a high standard of policing throughout a very challenging transition period; however expresses concern that the implementation of the single police force was rushed through without proper consideration or consultation; was dismayed by what it saw as the unedifying spectacle of the chief constable of Police Scotland and the chairman of the Scottish Police Authority conducting a covert and confrontational dispute over who would ultimately hold power over policing in Scotland; considers that there appears to be a serious lack of local accountability and transparency within Police Scotland; believes that access for local communities has been further eroded by the closure of over 60 public counters across Scotland and that there is a distinct lack of democratic accountability for policing as the Cabinet Secretary for Justice refuses to take responsibility for the police service, instead repeatedly stating that issues are “operational matters”; understands that policing in Scotland faces significant cuts to its budget over the next few years and that financial savings must be made, but is concerned that over 1,700 support staff have lost their jobs since 2010, which has resulted in widespread reports of "backfilling"; considers that both the Chief Constable and the general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation believe that the most recent statistics on stop and searches are exaggerated and that a proportion of them is likely to have been “made up”, and considers that the Scottish Government prioritises headline grabbing figures and positive spin rather than ensuring an effective level of democratic accountability for policing and that accurate crime recording is maintained.