Latest news with #DavidKennedy
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Public inquiries placing pressure on Police Scotland
David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), said public inquiries were having a 'detrimental impact' on policing. He said the issue could lead to a cycle in which taking officers away from their duties to deal with inquiries could ultimately result in more inquiries in the future, as the force suffers from a lack of resources. Mr Kennedy called for a ring-fenced fund for public organisations involved in inquiries to ensure services are not harmed. READ MORE: Local bus operator axes all of its services after entering 'liquidation' READ MORE: Glasgow travellers heading to two cities warned of 'violent muggings' He told the Finance and Public Administration Committee: 'The amount of and the sheer task that public inquiries place on the police service, resource-wise, is quite extraordinary. 'And what I've certainly seen since taking up my post and being in the federation for nearly 20 years is that there's never any budget set aside for the police service to take up these inquiries.' Mr Kennedy said the Sheku Bayoh Inquiry – one of several costing tens of millions of pounds – has cost Police Scotland £25 million, although it directly involves the force. 'On that figure alone, on a light scale, would give you 500 police officers,' he said. 'And with the current resourcing levels within Police Scotland, it is having an absolute detrimental effect on policing.' Mr Kennedy said that came at the same time as one detective inspector was dealing with 176 rape inquiries. 'That shows you the knock-on effect that inquiries can have on the day-to-day running of policing,' he said. Mr Kennedy added that the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry had also used 60 detectives at one point, which he said would take away from Police Scotland's resources elsewhere. He said the number of inquiries, which has increased in recent years, had led to some officers taking sick leave from work. Mr Kennedy told MSPs: 'The knock-on effect is when you have so many officers going on to a day shift role doing inquiries, that leaves the operational roles short.' He warned that the issue could lead to more future inquiries, saying: 'My concern at the moment is that we're going to have more public inquiries in 10 years' time because of items and cases that have been missed now, while we are taking people off the operational side of policing to help with the public inquiries that are ongoing.' SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson, convener of the committee, said the situation could become a 'self-perpetuating, increased cycle'. Mr Kennedy said the system must be reformed, including Police Scotland receiving the full cost of engaging with inquiries. His appearance comes as the committee investigates the cost-effectiveness of public inquiries in Scotland. The total cost of the country's public inquiries since 2007 currently totals £240 million, including £95.3 million for the ongoing Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. Meanwhile, the NHS has spent more than £3 million responding to inquiries since 2021, with the service now having established a dedicated team to respond to inquiries. Police Scotland and the Scottish Government have been approached for comment.
Glasgow Times
03-06-2025
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow police dealing with hundreds of rapes and sex crimes
Officers from the rape and domestic abuse unit in the city are dealing with 584 live cases, it has been revealed. With just four Senior Investigating Officers, who are Detective Inspectors, police officers' representatives have said it is not sustainable and is taking its toll on the staff. READ NEXT: Keir Starmer pledges to raise defence spending but won't rule out other cuts The figures are reported in the latest edition of 1919 police magazine. David Kennedy, Scottish Police Federation general secretary, said: 'The service is breaking them and some of those officers are broken. 'We can't continue to have a police service that does more with less. 'We are spinning workloads like spinning plates and that ultimately only ends one way.' The magazine revealed the details obtained under freedom of information. It reported police sources stating the highest number of cases handled by one SIO was 176. The source said: 'Figures show around 70% of all High Court trials relate to sexual offences and yet the resources Police Scotland put into investigating rape are a fraction of the overall investigative resources they've got'. READ NEXT: Inspections at 7 Glasgow homeless hotels reveal 'defects and issues' 'The force would rather spend money on the organised crime side of the business. 'It's a massive issue that officers working in sexual offences investigation have been flagging up for years. It is significantly under-resourced.' The total number of cases recorded by Police Scotland between April and September last year was 1400, 19.5% higher than the 850 in the same period the previous year. Sandy Brindley, Rape Crisis Scotland chief executive, said: 'Despite a rise in the number of reported rapes in Scotland, support for survivors remains desperately under-resourced and under-funded. 'We know that from our own work, but these figures are a stark reminder of how this extends to policing too. 'One senior officer, no matter how skilled they are, cannot possibly oversee 176 live rape investigations properly. READ NEXT: 10 firms in the Glasgow area named for not paying National Minimum Wage Steve Johnson, Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable, said: 'The significant increase in reporting of rape and sexual crime indicates a growing confidence in victims to come forward knowing they will be listened to, supported and that their case will be fully investigated. 'Work is ongoing across the organisation to support our vision of policing, which includes strengthening the frontline and ensuring we have the right people in the right places to meet this increased demand. 'We are also reviewing the workloads of SIOs nationally to develop an approach which ensures every report receives the best investigation and that SIOs are supported in dealing with the increase in demand. 'Senior Investigating Officers provide oversight to large teams of specialist detectives who carry out a range of different roles as part of these detailed investigations. 'Preventing rape and sexual crime is our ultimate goal and we work closely with a range of partners and across communities to tackle violence against women and girls.'
Daily Mail
02-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Desk-bound Scots bobbies told they will need fitness training to get them back on the beat
They have enjoyed a slower-paced life, sitting behind their desks manning the backroom operations. But a major Police Scotland shake-up to put more boots on the ground means officers used to the indoor environment have to step back out once again. Scores off staff are going from long-term desk jobs to dangerous frontline roles - but it has been claimed they'll need skills and fitness retraining to deal with the transition. News of the reshuffle comes as the cash-strapped force struggles to get a grip on deadly gang wars being fought in parts of the country. Ruthless feuding between drug lords and notorious criminal families has seen over a dozen attacks including fire bombings and gun violence as the grapple for control that kicked off in Edinburgh spread to Glasgow in recent months. Drugs and people trafficking and other violent crimes are also stretching the thin blue line to breaking point amid shrinking numbers of officers, which fell to the lowest level since 2007 in the middle of last year. The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents the rank and file, yesterday warned officers working desk jobs for years will need to be 'prepared for the demands of frontline policing'. David Kennedy, SPF general secretary, said they had concerns about the transition for those who had been 'non-operational' for an extended period of time. Mr Kennedy said: 'Issues such as refresher training, fitness and welfare are paramount to ensure officers are fully prepared for the demands of frontline policing. 'The Federation has emphasised that any move back to operational duties must be supported appropriately to safeguard both the officers and the public.' According to Mr Kennedy, there are also issues around 'flexible working' for officers involved. He said: 'We are aware that a lot of officers who work 9 to 5 do so because they have caring responsibilities and they will now need to apply for flexible working.' Mr Kennedy was also critical of police Scotland's use of 'on call', which means officers may be required to be available for duty outside of their regular shift. He said: 'On call is another major concern as we believe that Police Scotland relies too heavily on this in the day-to-day 24/7 of policing.' And he added: 'You can shake it up as much as you want but you can't get more from less and Police Scotland needs more police officers'. The force is recruiting extra civilian staff to free up scores of desk officers for operational duties in a bid to improve visibility in communities and boost the fight against crime. The overhaul spearheaded by Chief Constable Jo Farrell reverses moves of previous years that saw bobbies pulled from the beat for back office roles after budget cuts saw civilian staff made redundant. Now the Contact Centre, Firearms Licensing and Investigation section is among the first to see the 'release officers from these roles back to front line policing roles'. According to a force report, 32 officers in firearms licensing will switch back to local policing with civilians being recruited to replace them, with the 'rebalancing' of the force set to see hundreds more moved from desk jobs to bolster the thin blue line. The report says: 'We plan for a further uplift of 30 police staff in the future and further remodelling of the function. 'At the end stage, we should release 58 dedicated and approximately 300 non-dedicated police officer firearms enquiry officers from the function in a phased approach. 'We are also carrying out a rebalancing of the workforce mix within our contact centres. Phase one - replacing 25 constable posts and 10 sergeant posts with 25 staff posts - was completed this quarter. 'It is expected that phase two - replacing a further 50 constables and 20 sergeants with 50 staff posts - will be complete by quarter four 2025/26.' Seven months after taking up the top job in June 2023, Chief Constable Jo Farrell said she was 'shocked' by the lack of focus on frontline policing. She said the force was being 'held under water on a daily basis' by the scale of demand it faces, and highlighted officers being taken off the front line to do work that should be done by civilian police staff. Police Scotland declined to elaborate over the ultimate number of officers expected to be switched from desk jobs to the frontline as part of the force's 'rebalancing' blueprint. But it said, all officers are expected to maintain fitness levels for operational duties as they can be deployed operationally for major incidents or policing events. Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell added yesterday: 'The Chief Constable has been clear that bringing frontline policing to its strongest position is a priority. 'We began the additional deployments from back-office and corporate functions across the organisation in November 2024, which is already enabling frontline officers to stay in communities to prevent crime and address threat, risk and harm. 'Routine refresher training is already carried out and we are working to identify additional training requirements and will support these as required.' ACC Waddell added: 'We recognise the challenges that caring responsibilities can place on our people, which frontline officers on shift patterns are not immune to either.
Edinburgh Reporter
28-05-2025
- Edinburgh Reporter
Officers suing Police Scotland over Bonfire Night injuries
Police Scotland is being sued by officers who were injured amid violence and disorder during Bonfire Night havoc in Edinburgh. Chaos erupted in Niddrie on 5 November 2023 after around 50 youths launched fireworks and petrol bombs at riot police. It has now emerged that 20 officers on duty during the night of 'unprecedented' mayhem are taking legal action against Police Scotland over failing to provide them with safety equipment and noise exposure. Another officer is pursuing legal action against Police Scotland in relation to further outbreaks of violence and disorder during bonfire night last November. It is understood the officers who have lodged personal injury claims for the 2023 incident are claiming Police Scotland left them without adequate ear protection, leaving them exposed to a 'constant barrage of fireworks' for up to three hours. Over 30 officers are said to have reported hearing problems including tinnitus after being exposed to the deafening salvo of firework and petrol bomb explosions. It was later claimed Police Scotland had around 10,000 sets of sound suppressors designed to protect against noise-induced hearing loss while still allowing officers to hear conversations and listen to radios, but these were not issued prior to Operation Moonbeam — Police Scotland's response to Bonfire Night — due to testing issues at the time. The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents rank and file officers, said around 70 officers in total had been injured on the night. It said the vast majority of the injuries were minor but 21 officers were later said to still suffering hearing problems, with a further officer injured after being hit by a firework. Video footage from the night showed officers in riot gear standing in a line while youths threw explosives at their feet. Officers in other parts of the country also suffered minor injuries while responding to similar bonfire night disturbances. David Kennedy, general secretary of the SPF, later said hearing damage could have been prevented if officers had been supplied with the appropriate protective gear. He said: 'The officers in Niddrie were exposed to a constant barrage of fireworks, petrol bombs and other missiles for around three hours on that evening.' According to Mr Kennedy, most officers affected suffered from tinnitus amid concerns it could become a permanent problem, adding: 'This is a problem that could've been resolved if they had been given the appropriate earpieces to use with their airwaves to hear the radio. 'Tinnitus is debilitating and for some it could become worse. Some officers could actually lose their hearing as it gets worse over the years, so it could end some of those officers' careers eventually.' Police Scotland has now confirmed that 21 claims have been raised relating to bonfire night incidents and said they are ongoing. Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs, Gold Commander for Operation Moonbeam, said: 'During the policing operation for Bonfire night 2023, police officers experienced unprecedented levels of violence towards them during a period of sustained disorder. 'The safety of all our personnel is of the utmost importance during operational deployments. Whenever officers or staff are injured, we strive to provide them with all the necessary assistance and support during their recovery and return to work. 'In addition, each report of injury is assessed to establish learning outcomes that can be applied to policing tactics for future operations.' ACC Mairs added: 'We will also continue to explore the procurement and distribution of new equipment to safeguard those on the frontline as they perform their duties.' Niddrie 5 November 2023 Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Readers Letters: Time Scottish Government got tough on young criminals
The Scottish Government is too soft on knife crime, says reader Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said existing stop and search powers were insufficient to combat knife crime (your report, 26 May). SNP ministers have long ignored this escalating threat. Last year Police Scotland confiscated about 900 weapons, of which over 200 were from those aged 17 or under. Too many young criminals are referred to the Children's Panel, where there is a history of soft touch justice. The SNP Justice Secretary, Angela Constance, is out of her depth since all she has to offer was: 'Some of the rhetoric around discipline, around being tough, that we need a tougher justice system, I would suggest is misplaced.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Misplaced? Tell that to parents who have lost children through the SNP's failure to get tough on those carrying knives. Schools are no longer places of learning but are places where a few create disruption for many, yet avoid punishment. Teachers are getting no backing from the SNP government so are leaving in droves. Under the Scottish Government's sentencing guidelines criminals aged under 25 are far less likely to be jailed. Justice Secretary Angela Constance, pictured with First Minister John Swinney, has branded the call for tougher measures to tackle knife crime as 'misplaced'. (Picture: Jeff) May 2026 should see a change of government and a tougher approach to this long-running deadly problem. Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian Exclude offenders Angela Constance thinks the classroom is the best place for violent and disruptive pupils, and that 'children don't learn and don't change if they are absent from schools'. What evidence is there that disruptive children do learn and do change when they are included in mainstream schooling? No doubt inclusion suits the offenders and their families. It is not, however, a solution to the problems disruptive children inflict on other members of their classes and on teachers. Teachers have no sanction they can invoke that will restrain these children, and the bad behaviour affects other children, whose learning is disrupted. You educate a child only once, and disruption to children's education undoubtedly has a lasting effect. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Constance rejects calls for a tougher justice system and claims: 'Families want interventions that work.' This is because sorting out a mess largely created in the family has become the responsibility of schools, with teachers bearing the brunt of it. There is a need for families to take responsibility for their children, and for politicians to stop expecting teachers to act as social workers. I suggest that disruptive children be identified as early as possible and their families summoned, with their children, to attend a course in acceptable behaviour, for as long as it takes. That would be money well spent if badly behaved children were shown clearly that violence in the classroom will not be tolerated. Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh Out of touch It is only four months since SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn declared we are facing a renewed cost-of-living crisis. As I wrote previously (Letters, 12 January), the crisis never went away, with many living between pay cheques. Mr Flynn perhaps did not think that, given his 5.5 per cent MP pay rise, while his ministerial colleagues here are set to receive an extra £19,000, is rewarding failure. No wonder he wanted to become an MSP minister. As ministers become richer they're more likely to become out of touch, something the Tories were guilty of when in power. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The cost-of-living crisis is worsening, with nearly half of respondents of a recent study not able to find £500 for emergencies without borrowing and over 20 per cent not able to find £100 at short notice. Susan Murray of the David Hume Institute, which commissioned the research, cites difficulties in paying for essentials like housing and childcare. The causes are more complex, deep rooted in a stalled economy that fails to create highly skilled jobs and is too heavily reliant on the public sector. The tax system here is weighted towards low-paid jobs so companies offering highly skilled jobs go elsewhere. No wonder there is little growth and productivity improvement. Scotland is increasingly stuck in a cycle of welfare dependency with no stimulus for self-help. It attracts people to Scotland from beyond working age while those of working age are turned off coming here due to the high tax, low-skilled economy. Haddington-born author Samuel Smiles wrote 'lost wealth may be replaced by industry… but lost time is gone for ever'. It's time both the UK and Scottish governments prioritised skilled job creation and social mobility, otherwise poverty and poor health will spiral Scotland into terminal decline. Neil Anderson, Edinburgh Poor service Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Another day, another reminder that appearance is more important to our SNP government than actually delivering improved services. The BBC reports on Tracey Meechan's situation. With an ovarian cyst, she is unable to work and suffers severe pain. She has been on an 'urgent' NHS waiting list for surgery for 100 weeks. Women's Health Minister Jenni Minto has said that, in August 2021, Scotland was the first country in the UK to publish a Women's Health Plan and that 'timely access to gynaecology services will be a priority in the next phase of our plan'. I am sure that will be a great comfort to Ms Meechan as she continues to wait. George Rennie, Inverness Falklands beware Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad James Scott calls the Chagos deal 'decolonisation' (Letters, 27 May). But to transfer the islands' sovereignty to Mauritius over 1,000 miles away – with which it has minimal, if any, historical, cultural or ethnic links (other than the UK's administrative convenience in the final years of the Empire) and without any reference to the wishes of Chagossians, who oppose it in large numbers – is in fact a new colonisation of which one would expect, in 2025, any UK Government and the UN to robustly disapprove. To ignore the very credible security concerns regarding China's influence in Mauritius, and our paying billions for a partial 99-year lease-back instead of the new owner paying us, merely magnifies the literally 'incredible' nature of the 'art of this deal' which, maybe not surprisingly in view of his 'negotiations' on Ukraine, Donald Trump seems to accept. If, or more likely when, the UN rules that Argentina is the 'legitimate' owner of the Falkland Islands, will Sir Keir Starmer accept that too? John Birkett, St Andrews, Fife Reeves will pay Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves does not like men who drive seven-seater pick-up trucks, or businesspeople, or rich people, but these are the taxpayers who contribute almost 50 per cent of the UK tax take. She also does not understand the law of unintended consequences, or the power of the grey vote. The Prime Minister is about to throw her under a bus by including another tranche of pensioners who can receive the winter fuel payments. This should have been done in the first place. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Chancellor is guilty of not researching the detail, or by not having it ready in time, and making decisions 'on the hoof. She is also blinkered by Labour Party policy; she should remember that change can go both ways. James Macintyre, Linlithgow, West Lothian One-man band Dismissed in the past, as a 'Poundland Trump', Nigel Farage could, like Donald Trump, slip through, by stealth, and become the next prime minister. Stranger things have happened, dangerously so. Just look at Trump's America! We, in Scotland, underestimate to our peril Reform UK's threat, even to democracy itself. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The party poses as a superficially attractive alternative to the sorry state of current UK politics, emphasised, not least, by the floundering present government. Frankly, Reform UK, far from being a government in waiting, are a protest group, led, as one former disgruntled member suggested, by a messiah. They're very much a one-man band. Like his mentor, Donald Trump, Nigel Farage has a short attention span, enjoying a massive ego trip, whose desired destination is 10 Downing Street. The question is, once, heaven forbid, he is there, what exactly will he do? Ian Petrie, Edinburgh Elephant in pothole Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While in no way wishing to encourage dangerous driving, Edinburgh City Council's plan to reduce 40mph limits to 30mph on major routes in Edinburgh, many of which have no pedestrians crossing other than those using controlled crossings, feels like change for the sake of change. The West Approach Road at 30mph? Crazy! Like the needless 40mph limits at Edinburgh Airport and after the Cramond Brig, it's ideology made real for no reason. Despite all this, the huge elephant in the room is the utterly appalling state of Edinburgh's roads, with potholes, warped and ancient cobbles and botched repairs causing untold damage to cars and their passengers, and seriously endangering pedestrians and cyclists. It's time the Council got their priorities sorted out! As for consultation, we only ever seem to read about them after the event, suggesting that they are so low key as to be almost invisible! Brian Bannatyne-Scott, Edinburgh Write to The Scotsman Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
