Report Summary
Approved Minute from the Meeting of the Scottish Police Authority held on 30 November 2023. The Minute was approved at the meeting on 22 February 2024.
Meeting
The publication discussed was referenced in the meeting below
Meeting of the Scottish Police Authority - 22 February 2024
Date : 22 February 2024
Location : The Grand Hall, Merchants House, 7 West George Street, Glasgow, G2 1BA
Committee Chair's Reports
Members considered the report which provided an update on business progressed since the last Authority meeting through the:
• Policing Together Oversight Group
• Police Negotiating Board
• Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee
• Forensic Services Committee
• Complaints and Conduct Committee
• People Committee
• Resources Committee
• Legal Committee
In addition to the written reports, comment was provided on a number of other areas:
• The Policing Together Oversight Group Chair advised that the group would last approximately 3 years.
• The Forensic Services Committee Chair corrected the written report, noting the public Minutes will be available at the next quarterly meeting (5 February 2024). The Forensic Services Director, Fiona Douglas (FDouglas), assured Members that development and collaborative work with Police Scotland and the Crown Office allowed Forensic Services to be in a strong position when the statutory time limit for case completion reduces to 6 months.
• The Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee Chair advised that the Annual Report and Accounts have been laid before parliament and therefore published. It was highlighted that Police Scotland managed its finances within the set budget during the accounting year. The Chief Executive praised Police Scotland and SPA finance staff who had worked on the accounts during the year, and advised a short accessible summary of the accounts would be published on the SPA’s website.
• The Complaints and Conduct Committee Chair highlighted that the SPA Annual Report on Complaints had recently been published. It was also acknowledged that a priority for the Committee was to enhance transparency of sexual misconduct reporting. T/DCC Alan Speirs (TDCCSpeirs) confirmed 65 officers were suspended, with 29 of these relating to sexualised behaviours. During the year to date there have been 31 referrals with a sexual element and 22 of these are progressing through criminal or conduct processes. TDCCSpeirs committed to providing more detail and data regarding sexual misconduct in public reporting to the Committee.
The Board RESOLVED to:
• NOTE the report.
• AGREE the following action:
More detail regarding sexual misconduct data to be provided publicly to future Complaints and Conduct Committees.
20231130-BM-001