Complaint Handling Reviews

The Complaints

The complaints in this case arose as a result of the applicant’s contact with Police Scotland in relation to a number of incidents involving her neighbours.

1. on 9 November 2020 Police Scotland failed to take action regarding a breach of COVID-19 rules;
2. on the same date a police officer lied to the applicant;
3. on 1 December 2020 Police Scotland failed to carry out sufficient investigations into the applicant’s report that her neighbour had made gestures and threats;
4. on 2 December 2020 Police Scotland failed to act on the applicant’s report that her car’s wheel nuts were loosened;
5. on 17 December 2020 Police Scotland failed to carry out sufficient investigations into the applicant’s report that her neighbour spat on her;
6. on the same date a police officer displayed a “terrible attitude” towards the applicant;
7. on the same date a police officer refused to note details of other offences committed by the applicant’s neighbour;
8. on 9 January 2021 police officers demanded CCTV footage without a warrant and then failed to return it;
9. on 1 March 2021, police officers falsely accused the applicant of making anonymous reports to a local council and crimestoppers;
10. since January 2021 police officers have been harassing the applicant by filming outside her house, taking photographs and following her brothers car;
11. since January 2021, Police Scotland have stopped the applicant from contacting 101;
12. sometime between November 2020 and April 2021 a police officer told the applicant not to contact the police again regarding her neighbours;
13. since January 2021 police officers have allowed the applicant’s neighbours to install CCTV cameras that point directly into her property, including for the purpose of recording for the police;
14. on 27 February 2021 a police sergeant failed to investigate a report about the applicant’s neighbour running towards her car carrying a knife;
15. between 1 and 2 March 2021 Police Scotland failed to sufficiently investigate the applicant’s report of vandalism;
16. between 2 and 4 March 2021 an off duty police officer treated the applicant in an uncivil manner;
17. on 10 April 2021 a police officer took inaccurate statements from the applicant and her brother;
18. on the same day a police officer failed to take a statement from the applicant’s mother;
19. on the same day police officers failed to obtain CCTV of the incident reported by the applicant’s brother;
20. on the same day a police officer committed a road traffic offence while noting statements from the applicant and her brother;
21. on the same day a police officer deliberately noted a statement from the applicant in a police vehicle in front of neighbours who were photographing her; and
22. Police Scotland have shown favouritism towards the applicant’s neighbours.

Police Scotland’s Decision

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

Our Findings

We have found that Police Scotland handled seventeen of the applicant’s complaints to a reasonable standard. These are complaint numbers 2 – 7, 11 and 13 – 22. Five of the applicant’s complaints were not handled to a reasonable standard. These are complaint numbers 1, 8 – 10 and 12.

Consequently, we have made three recommendations to address the shortcomings highlighted in in Police Scotland’s handling of the complaints 8, 10 and 12.  In summary, we have recommended that Police Scotland provides the applicant with a further response to these complaints.

We have made three further recommendations about the way in which some of the complaints were initially recorded.

Our recommendations should be implemented by Police Scotland within two months of the date of this report.

Outcome

Police Scotland implemented three administrative recommendations relating to how the complaints had been recorded and provided a further response to three complaints. Two of these remained not upheld while the third was upheld following our review. Police Scotland acknowledged that CCTV footage the applicant’s family provided to the police had been retained unnecessarily and apologised to the applicant for this. 

Police Bodies : Police Scotland