SCOTTISH POLICE AUTHORITY CALLS FOR EVIDENCE ON ARMED POLICING

22nd September 2014

The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) has launched its call for evidence on armed policing by inviting a wide range of interested parties to submit views and provide evidence.

Views will inform the SPA's recently announced scrutiny inquiry which will assess the public impact of Police Scotland's decision to allow a number of specially trained armed response vehicle officers to carry visible firearms on routine patrols.

Last week, the SPA issued letters and a ‘call for evidence’ form to over 350 stakeholders and interested parties inviting them to respond to a series of questions designed to determine:

- what the level and nature of public concerns are over the current Police Scotland policy in relation to the standing firearms authority;
- how effectively Police Scotland are engaging with the public and considering the impact on communities in implementing their approach;
- how Police Scotland can best address any public concerns and provide necessary reassurance to communities, and;
- what, if any, lessons might be learned around how operational decisions with wider strategic or community impact are communicated to national and local oversight bodies and other key interests.

Members of the public can also take part in the call for evidence and submit evidence by visiting the SPA website, downloading and completing the form at www.spa.police.uk.

Response from the public and interested groups will also inform a series of public evidence sessions which will be held across the country in the next few months to allow SPA members to hear directly from interested parties and the public about their views and concerns.

SPA board member, and chair of the scrutiny inquiry, Iain Whyte said:"With the obvious exception of last week’s Scottish referendum, few other issues have stimulated as much opinion and debate in recent months as the role of armed officers in Scottish policing, and in particular concerns about how armed police are used and deployed on more routine duties. But like many debates, there has also been some misinformation, some misunderstandings and a number of claims to know the public’s mind and mood on this issue.

"That’s why the SPA believes the call for evidence we are undertaking is a tremendous opportunity for an accurate assessment of the nature and level of public concerns to be captured, and for communities and their representatives to make their voices heard. As an Authority member, my message is clear. The public voice should be a principle part of good governance and good decision-making. We are listening, we want your views, and we will ensure that the public voice is reflected in our inquiry and informs our findings on this issue. So I want to urge everyone in Scotland to get engaged and play their part."

The closing date for submitting written evidence is Friday 17th October. The SPA inquiry will draw together both its own evidence and that of the HMICS assurance review, and report with overall findings and recommendations to the full Authority at its public meeting on 17 December.