Police crime lab analysis threatens dozens of jobs

EDINBURGH'S forensic crime laboratory faces possible closure under a proposed shake-up designed to improve efficiency and save up to £3.5 million.

A "root and branch" review by the Scottish Police Services Authority has produced four options for the future of forensic services in Scotland, all of which would mean job losses among the 570 staff.

Two of the options would retain the lab, which employs around 60 people, but neither of these proposals meet the target for savings.

A third option would see labs in the Capital and Aberdeen close completely, with all work transferred to a new centre just opened in Dundee and another currently being built at Gartcosh, Lanarkshire, and a fourth option proposes satellite labs being retained in Edinburgh and Aberdeen to provide urgent fingerprint or drug analysis, but with most work transferred.

Under this option, Edinburgh would no longer be able to carry out DNA processing and fire debris analysis and all but 12-15 jobs would go.

The SPSA said it was confident improved processes and new IT could speed up key turnaround times for analysis, despite the cuts in jobs and spending.

Lothians Labour MSP George Foulkes said Scotland already had only one-third the rate of spending on forensics in England and Wales.

He said: "These services are too vital to be subject purely to financial scrutiny.

"It is critical Edinburgh maintains all the services it has to make sure justice is quickly and effectively done."

Under the options, retaining the current pattern of forensic services but introducing efficiency savings could mean 37 job losses and save 1.75m; retaining the existing pattern, but introducing new IT solutions could save 2m, with the loss of 49 jobs; cutting back to two labs could save 3.5m and mean 93 job losses; while moving to two labs with satellites could save 2.8m and see 84 jobs go.

SPSA director of forensic services Tom Nelson said: "The options we have set out are about consolidating and optimising what we do for policing, but they do herald change for us as an organisation."

He said he hoped the job losses could be achieved through natural wastage and avoiding redundancies.

Mr Nelson said: "We will work with staff to make sure we don't get ourselves into the position where we lose the service they deliver."

There will now be a six-week consultation period.