The damning report following the M9 crash scandal has cast fresh doubt over the future of police control rooms in Aberdeen and Inverness.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) has recommended keeping the centres open until there is “independent assurance” over call handling procedures.
But Justice Secretary Michael Matheson rejected the suggestion that any such review could actually reverse the slated closure – raising fears that it is merely a “box ticking exercise”.
He told the Scottish Parliament: “The HMICS report does not say that the end model that has been set out by Police Scotland should not be pursued. It states that it can offer the intended service.
“The purpose of the independent experts is to provide a gateway review and assurances.
“The end model is still the approach that is being taken by Police Scotland.
“However, safeguards will be put in place to make sure that, before the final stage is taken forward in the north, independent expertise has been fed into Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority before they agree to the final sign-off.”
Local MSP Lewis Macdonald said the response indicated that the closures – which have been put on hold since the initial report into the M9 crash – were a done deal.
He said: “SNP ministers are determined to continue with business as usual, regardless of the impact this will have on local policing in the north-east.
“The HMICS report clearly calls for independent assurances before any further actions are taken with regard to call handling in Scotland.
“Yet the Cabinet Secretary rejected any suggestion that this independent scrutiny might conclude that the best way forward for police call handling is to keep open the two facilities in Aberdeen.
“It appears that the future of Aberdeen’s control room and service centre has already been decided, and that the independent scrutiny called for by HMICS will end up as nothing more than a box ticking exercise, before Police Scotland and SNP Ministers continue with the plans as they now stand.”
Fellow north-east MSP Alison McInnes said she hoped the Scottish Government would “heed the warnings” in the HMICS report and not press ahead with the closures.
She said: “The report makes for shocking reading, outlining issues relating to staffing and processes, such as the use of ‘scribbling pads’ to record details of calls when the IT system is being slow.
“I hope that Police Scotland and Scottish Government will heed the warnings and stick to the commitment to keep these control rooms open until issues are fully resolved giving the staff working in them more stability.”