The Scottish Police Federation represents all police officers in the ranks of constable, sergeant, inspector and chief inspector, police cadets and special constables; over 18,500 people, 98% of all police officers in Scotland.
4 October 2019
Police ‘boys’ club’ accused of bullying women officers
A group of male officers are being investigated over sexist bullying of female colleagues. Scotland’s police watchdog is investigating a group of male officers accused of criminality and sexist bullying of female colleagues. The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) probe centres on the Moray town of Forres and has been questioning witnesses over ten months. It is alleged that male officers – nicknamed “the boys’ club” – drove a female officer to a forest at night where they abandoned her. This was to “teach her a lesson” after she made a report of domestic violence and sexual assault against her police officer ex-partner. A second female constable, in the late stages of pregnancy, was allegedly locked in a first-floor room inside Forres police station, forcing her to flee through the fire escape. A female civilian officer was also allegedly locked in a ground-floor room at the same police station. She escaped by climbing out a window.
https://stv.tv/news/highlands-islands/1441280-police-boys-club-accused-of-bullying-women-officers/
Analysis: Do police problems prove there is Life on Mars?
An STV News investigation suggests sexism, misogyny and worse at Police Scotland in 2019. Police Scotland’s senior management and PR bosses are acutely sensitive about the treatment of female officers and civilian staff in today’s enlightened times. Life on Mars stereotypes of sexism, misogyny and worse were supposed to have been left in the 1970s – but today’s STV News investigation suggests problems persist in 2019 Scotland. Angela Wilson, a former assistant chief constable of Tayside Police with more than 30 years’ service here and in England, spent her career fighting for equality in the ranks. Having spoken with one of the Moray female officers and others who have suffered similar ordeals elsewhere in Scotland, she believes political intervention is required. Ms Wilson told STV News: “Things indeed may have changed but clearly they’ve not changed sufficiently – this is not an isolated case. “There’s no point in just looking at this today and hoping it will go away and things will improve ever so slightly. There needs to be a look at the culture and how cultural change can be affected. “I think MSPs on the justice committee need to call evidence; they need to be looking how far and wide this is.” Ms Wilson is wary about commenting on policing issues because the last time she did, she suffered online abuse.
https://stv.tv/news/politics/1441282-analysis-do-police-problems-prove-there-is-life-on-mars/
Cop Probe Police Scotland ‘boys club’ accused of locking pregnant officer in a nick amid bullying probe.
It’s alleged one victim was abandoned in woods while a pregnant officer was locked in a nick. Tory MSP Liam Kerr called the accusations in Forres, Moray, “serious”. It’s claimed the rogue policemen abandoned the female colleague as revenge for her making a complaint against her cop ex-lover. The clique, nicknamed The Boys Club, are alleged to have taken the shocking action after the woman reported she’d been a victim of domestic violence and sexual assault.
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/4793874/police-scotland-boys-club-pregnant-officer-nick/
Euro Championship ticket tout laws criticised by police chief
New laws aimed at tackling ticket touts during next year’s European Championships in Glasgow could create accountability issues, the head of a police body has said. Callum Steele, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), told MSPs there are a number of issues with the Uefa European Championship (Scotland) Bill, including the handing over of “pseudo police powers to non-police officers”. The proposed law, which will cover the Games at Hampden next summer, is designed to ban ticket touting and constrict advertisers near fan zones in the city to just those sponsoring the event.
Scotland is first country in UK to ban smacking in landmark bill
Scotland has become the first country in the UK to ban smacking. The new legislation will effectively give children the same protection from assault as adults and removes the defence of “reasonable chastisement” or “justifiable assault”. Previously this meant parents could smack their child on the body but not on the head. The Bill was brought to Holyrood by Green MSP, and former policeman, John Finnie. Though he was backed by his colleagues, the Government, Labour and the LibDems, there was no love for the bill from the Scottish Tories.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/17946012.scotland-first-country-uk-ban-smacking-landmark-bill/
Overall crime has fallen but sex crimes are rising in West Lothian
New crime statistics released by the Scottish government show an alarming rise in sex crimes in West Lothian Reports of rape and sexual assaults in West Lothian have almost doubled since 2010/11. New figures released by the Scottish Government showed that overall, recorded crime in West Lothian had fallen by 30 per cent over a 10-year period. But between 2017/18 and 2018/19, there has been an alarming eight per cent spike in crime. Crimes such as theft and fraud have risen by 21 per cent in the last year in West Lothian, with fire-raising and vandalism incidents also rising by four per cent. But it is crimes of a sexual nature that will cause the public most concern.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/overall-crime-fallen-sex-crimes-20395736
Sturgeon blames opposition for rise in sectarian trouble
Nicola Sturgeon has blamed the opposition parties at Holyrood for a recent upsurge in sectarian trouble that has led to increased assaults on the police. The First Minister said the opposition’s repeal of a law designed to stop religious bigotry at football matches last year had sent “entirely the wrong signal”.
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17944954.sturgeon-blames-opposition-rise-sectarian-trouble/
UK Government ‘must cover all of £100m policing bill for COP26 climate summit’
The UK Government must cover all of the estimated £100 million bill to police a prestigious UN climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland’s Justice Secretary has said. Humza Yousaf said the security and policing costs of COP26 – which will see up to 30,000 delegates converge on Scotland’s largest city – will be “really substantial”.
Boris Johnson Brexit deal LIVE: Scottish court to decide whether PM can be jailed over no-deal
The highest civil court in Scotland is preparing to hear arguments over whether Boris Johnson can be forced to extend Article 50 to avoid leaving the EU without a deal. The so-called Benn Act, which passed last month, requires the Government to seek an extension if an agreement isn’t reached by Halloween, but opponents are suspicious the Prime Minister will try to thwart legislation to fulfil his vow to leave on October 31 “do or die”. The hearing, which could decide that fines or even a prison sentence could be imposed, comes as the European Council said the EU is “open but not convinced” by new proposals for a Brexit deal.
Sturgeon blames Holyrood opposition for surge in sectarian trouble that led to increased cop assaults
Nicola Sturgeon has blamed the opposition at Holyrood for a surge in sectarian trouble that has led to increased assaults on the police. The First Minister said the opposition parties’ repeal of a law designed to stop religious bigotry at football matches last year had sent “entirely the wrong signal”. She told MSPs: “We now have to deal with the consequences.” Earlier this week, it was revealed assaults against police officers has risen by a third amid increased sectarian tensions.
3 October 2019
Police Scotland host delegation from Norwegian colleagues
Police Scotland recently hosted a delegation from the Norwegian Police Service as part of an established and ongoing relationship.
In the latest of a series of visits, the group of senior officers met Assistant Chief Constable John Hawkins on Thursday 26 September 2019 at the Scottish Police College, Tulliallan, to discuss Police Scotland’s experience of reform. They then visited Livingston Police Station to see policing in action with a focus on local service delivery and partnership working between the police service and key partners, in a co-located setting. Police Scotland’s International Development and Innovation Unit (IDIU), working with officers and staff across the service, deliver support to help keep people safe across the globe, deploying officers and staff globally as well as hosting groups of visitors here in Scotland. Our service has a very high worldwide reputation and this is one example of where other police professionals are learning with and from us to help deliver the best service possible.
Michael Gove ‘ignored Scottish plea to see Brexit policing plan’
Scotland’s justice secretary is angry that police were “blindsided” by ministers at Westminster who refused to share sensitive Brexit planning.
Humza Yousaf wrote a month ago to Michael Gove, minister for no-deal planning, seeking clarity on public order preparations but had no reply. Will Kerr, deputy chief constable for local policing, said on Tuesday that Police Scotland had been denied access to plans to handle civil disruption. The force has only seen arrangements that are heavily focused on the south of England, with little recognition of Scotland’s position, he said.
Scotland beefs up international and border policing as it braces for No Deal Brexit
Scotland’s Chief Constable has beefed up his international and borders policing units as he braces his force for Brexit. Iain Livingstone is desperate to maintain crime-fighting links with the rest of the continent after the UK leaves the European Union, perhaps as early as the end of this month. Senior officers and politicians have long warned about the dangers of losing access to Europol, the EU centre co-ordinating investigations and intelligence.
Scotland set to be first in UK to ban smacking
Smacking children could be made illegal in Scotland today if MSPs vote to change the law to ban their physical punishment.
The smacking ban is set to be voted on by the Scottish Parliament and would give children the same protection from violence as adults by removing the defence of justifiable assault in Scots law. The Bill, introduced by Scottish Greens MSP John Finnie, faces its final vote on Wednesday, with the former police officer calling for cross-party support for the “vital legal protections for Scotland’s children”. Removing a parent’s right to hit their child would bring Scotland up to international standards, Mr Finnie has argued, adding: “Physical punishment has no place in 21st century”. Ahead of the vote, Mr Finnie MSP said: “This evening the Scottish Parliament has the opportunity to show courageous leadership by putting in place vital legal protections for Scotland’s children.
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17943898.scotland-set-first-uk-ban-smacking/
Family of fallen Scots officer meet cop who completed charity cycle in his memory
A policeman who completed a 220 mile charity cycle in memory of a fallen Scots officer has been reunited with the late constable’s family.
Nick Jones was given a blue wristband engraved with the details of PC Andrew Greenshields whilst taking part in the annual Police Unity Tour challenge in July.
The Scots constable, 50, tragically lost his life after suffering a heart attack whilst on duty for the former Edinburgh City Police in December 1950.
After seeing some of his fellow riders meeting the families of other fallen officers, the 39-year-old decided to launch a social media appeal to find PC Greenshields’ loved ones.
Within 48 hours, he had managed to find the officer’s daughter, Davina Macdonald, who was just 11-years-old when he father passed away.
On September 14, PC Jones travelled from his home in Wrexham, North Wales, to Kinross to personally deliver the wristband to PC Greenshields’ family.
PC Nick Jones with Davina Macdonald
Mrs Macdonald, 80, said: “When I first found out that Nick was looking for us, I was very surprised but very touched.
“I was quite emotional about the fact that somebody was thinking so deeply, not just taking the bracelet and doing the cycle. I thought it was such a lovely thing for him to do.
“Even though it’s been many years and I was only 11 when my father passed away, he was just such a special figure in our lives as children.
“Our mother, we could wind her round our little finger but by father didn’t need to be angry, he just needed to raise his eyebrows and that was all we needed.
PC Andrew Greenshields
“This wristband will be something that we treasure and my grandsons will look after it once I pass it on to them.
“Nick has said that he would like to do the cycle in memory of my father again next year and I think it would be absolutely fantastic.
“For somebody who is a complete stranger way down in Wales, and yet he has feelings enough to want to do that again.”
The Police Unity Tour, which sees supporters ride hundreds of miles before reaching their final destination at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, aims to raise funds for a vital charity.
Care of Police Survivors (COPS) was set up to support families of officers and staff who have lost their lives on duty.
Mrs Macdonald added: “When I see what COPS does now for families, I just think that I have to support that as much as I can because I know how difficult it was for my mother to bring up two young girls on her own.
“In no way does it substitute for the loss but at least it makes things a little bit better materially for the families.”
The wristband for PC Andrew Greenshields
After meeting Mrs Macdonald, her daughter Shona McKay, 39, and grandson Sam McKay, seven, last weekend, PC Jones said: “Some of my colleagues met the families of the officers that they had ridden for and were giving them the wristbands so it just didn’t seem right that I still had this one.
“I just thought that it wasn’t really for me to keep and that I should try and find the officer’s family to pass it on.
“It was unbelievable how quickly I was able to find the family. It was almost overnight which I hadn’t expected but it just shows the power of social media.
“To finish like this, meeting his family, just means the world. I’m really glad I got the chance to give it to them.”
PC Jones was hosted by the Scottish Police Federation during his trip to see Mrs Macdonald.
PC Nick Jones, Davina Macdonald and SPF general secretary Calum Steele.
Glasgow man admits ordering pet dog to attack police officers
A Glasgow man has admitted ordering a Staffordshire Bull Terrier to repeatedly bite police officers who were trying to arrest him.
Gordon Finlayson, from Govanhill, appeared from custody at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Friday, where he pled guilty to four charges.
The 35-year-old admitted assaulting two female police officers on Cathcart Road on August 19 after they were called to the scene.
He repeatedly kicked one female constable to her injury before repeatedly biting the other on the body.
Finlayson also pled guilty to being the owner of a dog that was dangerously out of control in a public place and commanding it to repeatedly bite the officers.
He also admitted assaulting a member of the public at Naveed Premier Store by seizing hold of him by the neck and punching him on the head.
No further details of the incident were read out during the short appearance but Finlayson’s defence lawyer told the court his client did not have “a great deal” of previous offending.
Mr Kilcoyne said: “Mr Finlayson has been known to me for some time and I do know that the offences back in 2010 were alcohol related.
“Mr Finlayson has a difficulty in that when he abstains, he is a law-abiding citizen but as soon as he drinks alcohol, things go very badly wrong.
“He was in full-time employment and has been throughout his adult life but he lost his employment shortly before this.”
Sheriff Mary McCrory deferred sentence for background reports until October 18 and released Finlayson on bail.
She said she would also decide if the dog should be destroyed at the next calling of the case.
MEDIA TODAY
21st October 2019
Renfrewshire farmers and police join forces in fight against rural crime ‘baa-dies’ SHEEP and cattle in Renfrewshire can rest a little easier after the launch of a new crackdown on rural crime. A host of organisations turned out at an education and awareness session event in Renfrewshire. Gryffe Wraes Farm, on the outskirts of Bridge…
18th October 2019
Blades and drugs found on locals as Dundee police carry out string of ‘stop and searches’ during crackdown A crackdown on violence and drug-related crime led to Tayside Police Division apprehending 20 people and executing two drug search warrants. Officers also found drugs or weapons on 19 people during a total of 68 “stop and…
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