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Meeting of the Parliament 17 May 2012

17 May 2012 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

Civilian Police Staff

Pearson, Graeme Lab South Scotland Watch on SPTV

The effective delivery of policing requires, among other things, the Government to provide confidence to police and police staff about their future in respect of employment and support, and it needs the Government to acknowledge that the principles of public service, integrity, team ethos and vocation are vital ingredients in ensuring that staff act in the spirit of public service. It also needs the recognition that value for money means paying the going rate for the jobs that are undertaken, and it needs efficiencies to ensure that the person with the required skills is engaged on the appropriate duties. Underlying those concepts is the additional responsibility on Government to respond to staff by showing exemplary fairness and loyalty to those who are currently employed across the police service, to leave all staff in no doubt that decisions about their future will be made on the basis of what is best for the future of policing across Scotland and not on the basis of a one-sided political commitment to maintaining police numbers while eliminating less visible support jobs.

Had the Government candidly admitted that 1,000 additional constables would result in at least 1,000 back-office jobs going—according to the unions, the figure is up to 3,000—I think that MSPs would have been less gushing in their support. No one would argue that the maintenance of police numbers is not a good result, but the fairytale that lies behind that fact is the loss of many more jobs behind the scene.

The sleight of hand involved would play well as merely a confidence trick if it were not for the fact that so many valuable staff are being let go and others demotivated by the very processes that should be enthusing staff as they move towards a single police force. Members should be in no doubt that these are staff cuts—and cuts they are, no matter what variation of the English language people try to use. They are directly linked to the savings targeted by this Government; they are not demanded by the creation of a single police force.

We have heard members quote eminent witnesses who provided the Justice Committee with evidence.

The most accurate staff numbers that I can uncover are for the period up to December 2011—unfortunately, the most recent figures will not be released until next month. The figures reveal that we have lost 905 posts. In Central Scotland, the area policed by Kevin Smith, a third of staff have been lost. The complement has fallen to 299 people.

Surely we cannot continue with the delusion that the work done by 905 people can be done by the remaining back-office staff. Surely the claims of efficiency made by this Government in relation to the management of staff over the years mean something—surely they mean that, across policing, current staff were and are fully utilised in their own work and are not available to soak up new duties.

The evidence gained from staff across the forces indicates that they are losing staff involved in warrants, intelligence analysis, football monitoring duties, custody, HR support, media services duties and firearms certification. We need to show support and to have a balanced police service. The service needs effective staff to support police officers, who should be out on the street fighting crime, not fighting paperwork and answering phones.

09:52

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Meeting of the Parliament 17 May 2012

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