Trial for police to not investigate low-level crime in Scotland sets a 'dangerous precedent'

The Scottish Police Federation has raised concerns about plans to not investigate minor crimes in the north-east

The Scottish Police Federation says plans to not investigate some minor crimes sets a “dangerous precedent” and will lead to public mistrust of the police force.

A new project is being trialled in the north-east that will see some minor crimes such as garden thefts no longer investigated. Police Scotland says it will be a “proportionate response to crime” and will give officers more time to focus on responding to emergencies.

However, David Threadgold, chair of the Scottish Police Federation, said this move could lead to police officers losing the trust of the public.

Police Scotland is trialling not investigating some minor crimes in the north-east. Image: Police Scotland.

“It is important to say no police officer in Scotland wants to provide a poorer service than we are already being forced to do so for the public,” he told the BBC.

“For a national police force to say to its citizens they will potentially no longer be investigating crime is a very dangerous precedent indeed, and one we must be very careful about.

“We could have a situation where this gets rolled out across Scotland and then reasonably intelligent criminals target certain areas safe in the knowledge there will be no investigation on the back of their crime. That is a real concern for us and could be a reality for our citizens in Scotland.”

Mr Threadgold said he had concerns about the ability of staff to decide what does and does not get investigated, and stressed opportunities would be missed.

“Iain Livingstone, the former chief constable, said police staff do incredible things and their success is the strong bond of trust they have with the public,” he said. “How can we even try to continue that if we send them the message we will not assist them?”

There are other concerns the police federation has as well, with Mr Threadgold saying the move could lead to younger police officers not getting the skills they need to go on and investigate bigger crimes, and could also result in low-level offenders moving on to more serious crimes.

He said he did not believe the pilot scheme would free up police time so officers could focus on responding to more serious crimes. The federation has suggested investing more money in the NHS and other public services so police officers spend less of their time dealing with mental health crises instead.

Mr Threadgold said: “The public believe the police will help them and for the vast majority of the time that is the case. But if we set the precedent that for certain things we will not attend, it has consequences which start at the bottom and work their way up through society.”

In announcing the pilot scheme, pilot divisional commander Chief Superintendent Graeme Mackie said: “We also know that sometimes people simply want to report a crime and we want to provide that service efficiently. Please continue to report crime in your area.

“Local officers will continue to review closed reports to enable them to map local crime trends and this may mean an inquiry is reopened and investigated.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “While these decisions are a matter for the chief constable, it is vital Police Scotland continues to inspire public trust and maintains relationships with local communities.

“This will be crucial when the results of this pilot are examined to ensure local priorities continue to be met with no detriment to communities.”