Complaint Handling Reviews

The complaints

The complaints in this case arose following the applicant’s arrest and time in police custody. We have reviewed the handling of three complaints, namely that:

1. A police officer drove erratically while conveying the applicant to a police station;
2. A police officer conveyed the applicant to a police station in a car that was not fit for purpose; and
3. Police Scotland lost an item of the applicant’s property while he was in police custody. 

Police Scotland’s decision

Police Scotland did not uphold any of the applicant’s complaints.

Our findings

We have found that Police Scotland handled complaints 1 and 3 to a reasonable standard but not so complaint 2.

Consequently, we have made a recommendation to address the shortcomings in Police Scotland’s handling of complaint 2. In summary, we have recommended that Police Scotland conducts further enquiries and, thereafter, provides the applicant with a well-reasoned further response on this complaint.

Our recommendation should be completed by Police Scotland within two months of the date of this report.

Outcome

Police Scotland implemented our recommendation in this case, by providing the applicant with a further response which specifically addressed the shortcomings we had highlighted in the original complaint response.

The complaint remained not upheld but learning was identified for the complaint enquiry officer and disseminated appropriately by Police Scotland.

Police Bodies : Police Scotland