Complaint Handling Reviews

The Complaints

The complaints in this case arose as a result of Police Scotland’s interaction with the applicant and his family in relation to an ongoing neighbour dispute. We have reviewed the handling of eleven complaints, namely that:

1. A police officer failed to see that she was fatally compromised in dealing with an ongoing dispute due to her friendship with some of the persons involved;
2. A police officer failed to take appropriate action in respect of a complaint the applicant made to him in writing on 24 June 2020;
3. A police officer failed to properly deal with a report made to him by the applicant’s daughter on 8 May 2020 in relation to previous and ongoing harassment at and near to her home;
4. A police officer addressed the applicant’s daughter in a dismissive and patronising manner, and took a misogynistic approach to her report;
5. A police officer failed to take appropriate action in respect of a complaint the applicant made to him in writing on 16 April 2021;
6. A police officer failed to take appropriate action in respect of a complaint the applicant made to him in writing on 22 April 2021;
7. A police officer addressed the applicant in a dismissive, patronising and hostile manner in an email on 22 April 2021;
8. On 30 August 2020, a police officer refused to accept a report of harassment made by the applicant’s daughter;
9. A police officer spoke to the applicant’s daughter in a dismissive and patronising manner, and took a misogynistic approach to her report, during a telephone call on 30 August 2020;
10. A policy decision was taken by Police Scotland to downgrade any reports made to the police by the applicant or his family, unless there was an ongoing threat to life or property; and
11. The applicant was not informed that Police Scotland had taken a policy decision to downgrade any reports made to the police by him or his family, unless there was an ongoing threat to life or property. 
     

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, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 to a reasonable standard but not so complaint 9.

However, we have not made any recommendation in relation to complaint 9.

Police Bodies : Police Scotland