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| Whistleblower fear over new Police Scotland rules | Whistleblower fear over new Police Scotland rules |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The justice secretary has been urged to ensure that new guidelines issued to police officers will not prevent whistleblowers from raising concerns. | The justice secretary has been urged to ensure that new guidelines issued to police officers will not prevent whistleblowers from raising concerns. |
| The rules require Police Scotland officers to declare any contact they have with politicians and journalists. | The rules require Police Scotland officers to declare any contact they have with politicians and journalists. |
| Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie claimed the move was designed to silence internal critics of the force. | Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie claimed the move was designed to silence internal critics of the force. |
| But the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) said the guidelines were not intended to prevent officers raising issues. | |
| The Scottish government said the issue was an operational matter for the force, but a spokeswoman said it was "right that all public services recognise the importance of engaging with MSPs, journalists as well as other key stakeholders". | |
| She added: "We also believe that it's important staff are provided with a safe space to discuss any concerns and promote an open and transparent reporting culture across all levels of the service." | She added: "We also believe that it's important staff are provided with a safe space to discuss any concerns and promote an open and transparent reporting culture across all levels of the service." |
| Elected politicians | Elected politicians |
| The guidance is contained in a 19-page document which instructs police officers on "notifiable associations" - organisations and groups of people which they must declare any contact with. | The guidance is contained in a 19-page document which instructs police officers on "notifiable associations" - organisations and groups of people which they must declare any contact with. |
| Listed among the categories are known and suspected criminals, journalists and "members of any political party where the membership involves playing an active part in politics" - which would include all elected politicians. | Listed among the categories are known and suspected criminals, journalists and "members of any political party where the membership involves playing an active part in politics" - which would include all elected politicians. |
| Under the rules, officers would need to declare any meetings, friendships and partnerships, "intimacy" or shared membership of groups, organisations and societies, as well as any contact through social media or other online platforms. | Under the rules, officers would need to declare any meetings, friendships and partnerships, "intimacy" or shared membership of groups, organisations and societies, as well as any contact through social media or other online platforms. |
| The guidance is compulsory for all police officers and special constables, who are warned that any failure to comply could result in misconduct proceedings being brought against them. | The guidance is compulsory for all police officers and special constables, who are warned that any failure to comply could result in misconduct proceedings being brought against them. |
| It forms part of the force's anti-corruption strategy, and is designed to "protect the information, assets and reputation of Police Scotland". | It forms part of the force's anti-corruption strategy, and is designed to "protect the information, assets and reputation of Police Scotland". |
| The force's head of professional standards, Ch Supt Alan Speirs, said the guidance had undergone a Human Rights Equality Impact Assessment. | The force's head of professional standards, Ch Supt Alan Speirs, said the guidance had undergone a Human Rights Equality Impact Assessment. |
| He added: "We also provide guidance to our people in relation to whistleblowing which is designed to reassure and support Police Scotland employees who wish to provide information in relation to matters that concern them." | He added: "We also provide guidance to our people in relation to whistleblowing which is designed to reassure and support Police Scotland employees who wish to provide information in relation to matters that concern them." |
| And the SPA said the guidelines, which it said were in line with those used by other forces across the UK, should not be "misinterpreted as an attempt to prevent officers or staff from raising issues". | |
| A spokeswoman said: "The SPA recognises the importance of having an environment where individuals feel confident and have the opportunity to come forward and raise concerns. | |
| "The board recently approved a formal Whistleblowing Policy which provides a range of opportunities to raise concerns directly with the organisation or through an online confidential Integrity Matters reporting system." | |
| 'Hailed not silenced' | 'Hailed not silenced' |
| However Mr Rennie claimed the declaration of media and political contacts was designed to "snuff out such contacts rather than to aid transparency", and argued that whistleblowers should be "hailed not silenced". | |
| The Lib Dem leader said it was "because of principled police officers and staff members that we got to bottom of the deep rooted flaws in Scotland's police service". | |
| He highlighted issues such as the M9 crash, the "chaos" in police control rooms, the back filling of civilian roles by police officers and the routine arming of officers on patrol as issues which had been exposed "in part through the assistance of police staff and officers who cared about the future of the police service". | |
| Mr Rennie added: "The justice secretary and Scottish Police Authority should intervene to ensure that the police hierarchy are not free to silence internal critics." | |
| Calum Steele, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation - which represents rank and file officers - was quoted by the Sunday Herald newspaper as saying it was important that the force had "adequate policies to protect itself and its officers from potential risk". | Calum Steele, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation - which represents rank and file officers - was quoted by the Sunday Herald newspaper as saying it was important that the force had "adequate policies to protect itself and its officers from potential risk". |
| But he added: "Any policy that equates contact with elected parliamentarians and journalists with contact with criminals is deeply worrying. | But he added: "Any policy that equates contact with elected parliamentarians and journalists with contact with criminals is deeply worrying. |
| "It risks being seen as an attempt to silence dissent that would not be out of place in a banana republic." | |
| Mr Steele expressed concern about Police Scotland's internal grievance procedures last week after figures released under Freedom of Information laws showed the country's 17,000 police officers made only 29 formal complaints last year. | Mr Steele expressed concern about Police Scotland's internal grievance procedures last week after figures released under Freedom of Information laws showed the country's 17,000 police officers made only 29 formal complaints last year. |
| Describing the figure - which was double that for the previous year - as worryingly low, Mr Steele said it suggested a "lack a confidence in the force's procedures to resolve issues" and that "rather than take the process on, many officers resign themselves to tolerate their lot". | Describing the figure - which was double that for the previous year - as worryingly low, Mr Steele said it suggested a "lack a confidence in the force's procedures to resolve issues" and that "rather than take the process on, many officers resign themselves to tolerate their lot". |