Police launch complaints survey

Members of the public have the opportunity to take part in a consultation into the way police handle complaints.

Professor John McNeill, the Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland (PCCS), is calling on people to fill in a questionnaire looking at proposals on police complaints procedures.

The statutory guidance being outlined looks at the time it takes the police to respond to complaints, as well as how complaints about chief officers should be handled.

The document will apply to all eight Scottish police forces and UK-wide bodies operating in Scotland, such as the Serious Organised Crime Agency and UK Border Agency.

Prof McNeill said the six-stage process outlined in the consultation document had the potential to impact upon all Scottish police officers and staff.

He said: "I want to see the police in Scotland become more effective in dealing with complaints.

"The guiding principles of the six-stage process present a real opportunity to make a positive shift towards learning and improvement rather than blame," he added.

The consultation questionnaire runs for eight weeks on the PCCS website, with the responses feeding into the new guidance on complaint handling being published early next year.