Humza Yousaf says Scottish Government will consider recommendations on police vetting after damning review

A review said not all police officers in Scotland have proper vetting records

Humza Yousaf says he will consider any recommendations made to improve police vetting procedures, after a review found not all police officers in Scotland have appropriate records.

The First Minister also said he was “confident” in Police Scotland after the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) warned people could die because of a lack of officers.

An inspection has found some officers and staff have not been vetted since the start of their careers. The force is now being advised to carry out an urgent review and ensure staff are vetted at least once a decade.

Several gaps were identified in the force’s vetting process. These include having no requirement for officers or staff to notify of any off-duty criminal convictions, offences or charges, no requirement to report any relevant changes in circumstances such as getting a new partner or a change of address, having no process to review vetting clearances following misconduct, and having no system for the withdrawal or suspension of recruitment vetting.

Speaking to journalists while out campaigning in Blantyre on Tuesday, Mr Yousaf said the Scottish Government would consider any of the recommendations the police watchdog had made on the back of the review.

He said: “It is important to say the details of that report, we will consider any recommendations on legislation. What I would say is when it comes to the creation of Police Scotland, there were vetting procedures in place for new officers coming in, and recommendations for legacy officers who entered the force before Police Scotland was created.”

This comes after ministers were accused of “arrogantly” ignoring SPF warnings about falling officer numbers.

David Kennedy, general secretary of the police federation, said probationers were working on the beat alongside other novices rather than being partnered with experienced officers because of an unprecedented squeeze on resources.

When Police Scotland was formed in 2013, there were 17,496 officers employed, while figures now show that number has dropped to 16,600 as of June this year.

Mr Kennedy has warned another 600 officers could leave the force as a result of budget cuts, and this could lead to deaths in the community.

Mr Yousaf said: “We want to make sure the police are fairly funded, and that’s why their budget was increased, significantly increased, this financial year. It is up to Police Scotland to determine what officer numbers are needed to keep communities safe, but I am confident in their judgement.

“That’s why we have more police officers in place than when we came to power, but, of course, the numbers will fluctuate year-to-year. But people care about making sure their communities are safe, and our data shows that recorded crime is at one of its lowest levels.”

The First Minister said he would continue speaking to Police Scotland about officer numbers and station closures, but stressed “they are the ones ultimately in charge of facilities”.

“What I am responsible for is funding, and we have increased the police budget and now have more police officers per head of population than in England and Wales, and the lowest levels of recorded crime,” he said.