Complaint Handling Reviews

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Report - Police Scotland - PIRC/00277/21

30 Nov 2021
Content

The Complaints

The complaints in this case arose after the applicant was arrested for breaching special bail conditions.

We have reviewed the handling of five complaints, namely that:

  1. Officers failed to allow the applicant to search her home for correspondence, which proved the bail conditions for which she was arrested had been lifted;

  2. The arresting officers told the applicant that she would be given an opportunity to speak to a sergeant to explain and investigate the circumstances surrounding the bail conditions, but this opportunity was not afforded to her;

  3. An officer at the police station believed the applicant was ‘faking’ illness and made an insincere offer of medical help;

  4. An arresting officer photographed the applicant’s residential permit, which caused the applicant to believe that she was racially discriminated against; and

  5. Whilst being searched within the custody facility, the applicant’s upper body was naked.

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, 2, 3 and 4 to a reasonable standard, but not so complaint 5. However, despite the shortcoming identified in Police Scotland’s handling of complaint 5, there is no further action required in this connection.

We have identified three learning points in relation to naming officers in the final response letter, securing CCTV and maintaining auditable records.

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

Police Bodies : Police Scotland

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