Scotland policing plan undervalues importance of police staff, says Unison
The new three-year plan for Police Scotland fails to recognise the essential work of support staff and will not deliver the level of service the public deserves, says Unison today.
Chief Constable Jo Farrell is presenting her proposals to the Scottish Police Authority board on Thursday (September ), outlining her approach for the coming years (see https://policeprofessional.com/news/police-scotland-outlines-vision-to-strengthen-the-front-line-and-reconnect-with-communities/).
Although it includes a welcome commitment to rebalance the workforce, by returning many important tasks to police staff instead of officers, Unison says many of the aims are “not realistic or achievable”.
The union says that for too long there has been a fixation on the number of uniformed officers, at the expense of police staff who perform vital frontline roles but whose numbers have dwindled through redundancy.
The document will leave many of the workers represented by Unison feeling “undervalued” and given a lack of respect by referring to their work as simply “back-office” functions, says the union.
“In reality, police staff are the backbone of the service and without them the criminal justice system would fall apart,” the union added.
Unison says the plan is “aspirational”, with little evidence to suggest the proposals can actually be achieved.
Unison Scotland regional organiser Deborah Clarke said: “Once again police staff have been forgotten and their place and value in shaping Police Scotland’s future has been ignored.
“This plan is a missed opportunity for real reform across the whole workforce, and the union must be part of any work on annual plans that will follow.”
Unison Police Scotland branch secretary David Malcolm added: “We’re disappointed with the three-year plan, which fails to recognise police staff for the value and dedication they bring to their jobs, keeping the people of Scotland safe.”