Police defend civilian staff role

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Central Scotland Police has defended its use of civilian staff after it was revealed they had helped investigate a murder and serious sexual assault.

There are eight civilian investigative assistants working around Falkirk in a year long pilot scheme.

The Scottish Police Federation said it was told they would only deal with low level crimes like vandalism and theft.

The force insisted that they worked in a team of experienced officers and did not deal with serious crime suspects.

The Priority Crime Unit, where the assistants are employed, started work at the end of March.

They were expected to help deal with low level offences, giving qualified police officers more time to investigate serious cases.

It's been put about that they're off on their own investigating all the pleas of the crown, which couldn't be further from the truth Supt Robbie McGregor

The Scottish Police Federation said the assistants should stick to smaller crimes.

The federation's Raymond Pratt, said: "I think if I was a member of the public and a member of my family was a victim of a serious crime, such as murder or serious sexual assault, then I would want the best that is available to investigate that.

"The best that is available is a fully-trained, competent, sworn police officer."

He added that the few weeks training undertaken by investigative assistants could not compare to that of CID officers, who would have undergone specialist training, a probationary period and passed exams.

However, Central Scotland Falkirk commander Supt Robbie McGregor said the unit had already investigated more than 700 crimes, and only two of them were at the most serious end of the scale.

He explained that the unit had four teams and was headed by an experienced detective sergeant. Each team has two assistants as well as a detective constable and police constable.

Strict rules

Supt McGregor said: "Their work is split between the police officers and they do anything that involves a suspect or a detention or an arrest, they do anything that involves hands-on with a person who is likely to be reported to the appropriate authority.

"The investigative assistants are operating around duties similar to door-to-door inquiries, recovering and viewing CCTV"

He went on: "It's been put about that they're off on their own investigating all the pleas of the crown, which couldn't be further from the truth.

"They are briefed before they go, the are briefed when they are on site doing jobs and they operate within fairly strict parameters."

Supt McGregor said the public was benefiting from having the assistant investigators on board, adding: "It is about freeing up uniformed police officers to be where every time I meet with members of the public they tell me where they want my officers to be - out in communities."