Latest news with #IainLivingstone
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Police Scotland doesn't even log the sex of suspects properly
And whilst there are far fewer of them on the roads, a vehicle fleet in which hardly an engine gets the chance to go cold from one end of the day to the next is also likely to have the odd metal-on-metal encounter with others. Paying out for such things is to be expected. If that were the end of it, I suspect the vast majority of us would shrug our shoulders and take a pragmatic view that there wasn't really much to see here. But as with so many things in policing, that is a long way short of the whole story — and the service's approach to dealing with these incidents, and the inevitable questions the payments invite, points to something altogether more concerning. Read more Our police service has wholeheartedly embraced a sackcloth-and-ashes approach to institutional failings of misogyny, racism, and sexism. Our Chief Constable was barely a few hours into the job when she told us all she agreed with her predecessor — who himself had had a Damascene conversion on this just before he retired. Indeed, such was the speed with which Jo Farrell was able to weigh up the evidence for herself that you have to wonder how it took so long for the Branchform inquiry into the SNP finances to come to a close. On top of that, the service is never shy to remind us how it fails the LGB and TQIA+ community, and has apologised for upholding the law as it now seeks to incorporate as many rainbows as possible into life as penance for its past misdeeds. Self-evidently, these kinds of pronouncements grab headlines and create a feeding frenzy of manufactured outrage, as well as cottage industries, pledges, and even more corporate jargon that allows a feeling of righteousness to wash over those at the top. New posters on walls, mandatory re-education for "wrong-think", and countless meetings to give the impression of action — all add to the necessary cleansing, and most crucially of all, serve to distract from the one true failing in the police: that of institutional dishonesty. Informed by the maxim of never asking a question you don't already know the answer to, I recently FOI'd our national service to ask how many policies, procedures, and guidance documents had been changed since Iain Livingstone told us this was where many of the institutional failures lay. Many of the claims made against the service are filed by its own officers, says Calum Steel, a former leader of the Scottish Police Federation (Image: free) Whilst I'm still in the FOI war of attrition awaiting the outcome of an appeal to get the service to properly respond, I already know the answer is none. In fact, the best one deputy chief constable can muster as evidence to support the institutional punishment-beating being meted out is that the resuscitation dummies used to practise first aid skills are all white! Now, that would be funny enough if it were true — but it's hilarious because it is not. The desperation to manufacture evidence to support the claims, and the corporate industry it now sustains, has been there from the get-go. The very day Iain Livingstone rang the bell and shouted "unclean", the service's own equality advisor was in front of the cameras declaring that the data held by the service proved there was a disparity in the service provided to some sections of the community. Cue another FOI to reveal that there was, in fact, no data — but by that time the seeds had been sown and the damage done. Police station closures are met with fantastical claims of improving officer morale and service to the public, while cutting the number of road policing officers is packaged as delivering intelligence-led patrols on targeted routes — even though road deaths are increasing. The shocking state of police morale and ever-increasing sickness rates are body-swerved with pledges that well-being is prioritised, despite HMICS investigations 'finding no recognition or reference to areas of significant stress in any of the work being undertaken in relation to well-being.' And best of all, the decline in the quality of recruits to the service is sold as evidence of a steadfast commitment to standards — despite one in five now failing vetting, against a historic position of one in fifty. Read more You'd like to believe that such a casual relationship with the truth would have some serious consequences for the service, or at least raise the curiosity of its oversight body— but so ingrained is this institutional duplicity that it passes entirely without comment. It is against this backdrop that we have to look at the compensation numbers and ask why it is that the service doesn't give even broad details of what the payments were for. After costing the public purse some £18 million, a smidgen of openness shouldn't be demanded — it should be automatic. The hard truth is, many of the claims made against the service are made by its own officers. If made public, they would point to a service which treats its own people deplorably and is never held to account for doing so — such is the consequence of the confidentiality clauses which accompany nearly all settlements. This is what lies behind the endemic confusion within the service on how to deal with issues of sex and gender, which allows the Chief Constable to say one thing while allowing her officers to do the opposite. It is an abdication of leadership and serves only one purpose: the continuing prioritisation of feelings over facts. Calum Steele is a former General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, and former general secretary of the International Council of Police Representative Associations. He remains an advisor to both
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Yahoo
Police Scotland ‘not recording ethnicity correctly' on DNA database
Police Scotland was warned it was not recording DNA ethnicity data correctly amid a row around allegations of institutional racism within the force. Former Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone said Police Scotland 'is institutionally racist and discriminatory', months before retiring in August 2023. However the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner, Dr Brian Plastow, called on Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) to review procedures for recording ethnicity when it collects DNA or other biometric data following arrest – and issued a report saying failure to do so correctly was 'concerning'. Less than 1,000 crimes a year in Scotland are solved using DNA – typically murders, assaults and sex offences – and Police Scotland was told to develop a biometrics strategy including cost, to be approved and in place before October 31. Biometric data includes DNA and fingerprints, and publicly available information on the UK's National DNA Database allows scrutiny to see if any ethnic group is over-represented – with black citizens accounting for 7.5%, despite being 4% of the UK population according to the 2021/22 census. The 2022 Scottish census noted that 1.3% of the population is of black heritage – however, no details about ethnicity are recorded on the Scottish DNA Database (SDNAD), which is almost 30 years old, meaning experts were unable to establish if there was over-representation. A decade after a £6 million investment in world-class DNA technology in the Scottish Crime Campus in Gartcosh, North Lanarkshire, the benefits 'have not been fully realised', and 70% of the profiles are of a lower scientific standard due to a failure to re-test offenders, the report warned. Properly recording data would support Police Scotland's equality duties and help maintain public confidence, amid allegations of 'institutional racism', supported by Chief Constable Jo Farrell, it was said. Dr Plastow said: 'SPA Forensic Services and Police Scotland were unable to provide us with any reliable management information on the ethnicity of anyone held within SDNAD as the database is nearly 30 years old and not designed to record this information. 'Failing to properly record and publish data on ethnicity of arrested people whose biometric data is held is concerning, against the context of the former and current chief constables having stated that institutional racism persists. 'We have been unable to establish whether there is over-representation on grounds of ethnicity or any protected characteristic.' As an alternative, Police Scotland were asked to provide ethnicity data from its National Custody System, for arrests from 2023 to 2024 where DNA was taken. However, this mandatory information was 'incomplete' and 'unreliable', Dr Plastow said. He added: 'The data extract obtained by Police Scotland was incomplete and so heavily caveated to render it unreliable.' Seven recommendations were made after a joint review with the SPA and the Leverhulme Institute of Forensic Science, on the acquisition, retention, use and destruction of DNA. Dr Plastow said: 'DNA provided a potential investigative lead in only 0.34% of recorded crime in Scotland in 2023 to 2024, but those investigative leads can be spectacular.' The report highlighted that where a criminal has been re-arrested, no fresh DNA sample is routinely taken if a lower standard DNA profile was recorded predating 2014 – despite investment that year which gave Police Scotland access to the most advanced DNA analysis facilities available internationally. In 2014, after the establishment of Police Scotland and the SPA, the Scottish Government spent £6 million on the new DNA testing facility, but a decision not to re-test samples predating 2014, means less than a third of offenders' profiles are currently of the newer DNA24 standard, it was warned. Dr Plastow said: 'When the new facility opened there were more than 250,000 samples A decision was taken on the grounds of cost and laboratory capacity not to do any bulk back record conversion, as it would have cost more than £10 million. 'More than 10 years after the introduction of DNA24, 69.9% of profiles held are still of a lower scientific standard.' Police Scotland was urged to review its DNA Confirmed policy to increase DNA24 profiles, for more effective investigations, and to develop a biometrics strategy including capital expenditure before October 31. Dr Plastow said: 'Holding DNA24 profiles would lead to more effective and efficient investigations and eliminate innocent suspects more quickly. 'Without such a plan, there is no clear vision of what Police Scotland hopes to achieve with DNA, fingerprints, facial images, or other biometric enabled technologies including retrospective facial search.' Police Scotland and the SPA have been contacted for comment.
The Independent
26-02-2025
- The Independent
Police Scotland ‘not recording ethnicity correctly' on DNA database
Police Scotland was warned it was not recording DNA ethnicity data correctly amid a row around allegations of institutional racism within the force. Former Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone said Police Scotland 'is institutionally racist and discriminatory', months before retiring in August 2023. However the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner, Dr Brian Plastow, called on Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) to review procedures for recording ethnicity when it collects DNA or other biometric data following arrest – and issued a report saying failure to do so correctly was 'concerning'. Less than 1,000 crimes a year in Scotland are solved using DNA – typically murders, assaults and sex offences – and Police Scotland was told to develop a biometrics strategy including cost, to be approved and in place before October 31. Biometric data includes DNA and fingerprints, and publicly available information on the UK's National DNA Database allows scrutiny to see if any ethnic group is over-represented – with black citizens accounting for 7.5%, despite being 4% of the UK population according to the 2021/22 census. The 2022 Scottish census noted that 1.3% of the population is of black heritage – however, no details about ethnicity are recorded on the Scottish DNA Database (SDNAD), which is almost 30 years old, meaning experts were unable to establish if there was over-representation. A decade after a £6 million investment in world-class DNA technology in the Scottish Crime Campus in Gartcosh, North Lanarkshire, the benefits 'have not been fully realised', and 70% of the profiles are of a lower scientific standard due to a failure to re-test offenders, the report warned. Properly recording data would support Police Scotland's equality duties and help maintain public confidence, amid allegations of 'institutional racism', supported by Chief Constable Jo Farrell, it was said. Dr Plastow said: 'SPA Forensic Services and Police Scotland were unable to provide us with any reliable management information on the ethnicity of anyone held within SDNAD as the database is nearly 30 years old and not designed to record this information. 'Failing to properly record and publish data on ethnicity of arrested people whose biometric data is held is concerning, against the context of the former and current chief constables having stated that institutional racism persists. 'We have been unable to establish whether there is over-representation on grounds of ethnicity or any protected characteristic.' As an alternative, Police Scotland were asked to provide ethnicity data from its National Custody System, for arrests from 2023 to 2024 where DNA was taken. However, this mandatory information was 'incomplete' and 'unreliable', Dr Plastow said. He added: 'The data extract obtained by Police Scotland was incomplete and so heavily caveated to render it unreliable.' Seven recommendations were made after a joint review with the SPA and the Leverhulme Institute of Forensic Science, on the acquisition, retention, use and destruction of DNA. Dr Plastow said: 'DNA provided a potential investigative lead in only 0.34% of recorded crime in Scotland in 2023 to 2024, but those investigative leads can be spectacular.' The report highlighted that where a criminal has been re-arrested, no fresh DNA sample is routinely taken if a lower standard DNA profile was recorded predating 2014 – despite investment that year which gave Police Scotland access to the most advanced DNA analysis facilities available internationally. In 2014, after the establishment of Police Scotland and the SPA, the Scottish Government spent £6 million on the new DNA testing facility, but a decision not to re-test samples predating 2014, means less than a third of offenders' profiles are currently of the newer DNA24 standard, it was warned. Dr Plastow said: 'When the new facility opened there were more than 250,000 samples A decision was taken on the grounds of cost and laboratory capacity not to do any bulk back record conversion, as it would have cost more than £10 million. 'More than 10 years after the introduction of DNA24, 69.9% of profiles held are still of a lower scientific standard.' Police Scotland was urged to review its DNA Confirmed policy to increase DNA24 profiles, for more effective investigations, and to develop a biometrics strategy including capital expenditure before October 31. Dr Plastow said: 'Holding DNA24 profiles would lead to more effective and efficient investigations and eliminate innocent suspects more quickly. 'Without such a plan, there is no clear vision of what Police Scotland hopes to achieve with DNA, fingerprints, facial images, or other biometric enabled technologies including retrospective facial search.'
