The Guardian view on police budget cuts: reform needed with a morale vision
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Version 0 of 1. In the early hours of 5 July, a Renault Clio crashed off the M9 motorway south of Stirling. Although the crash was reported later that morning, Police Scotland – whose motto is “Keeping people safe” – failed to respond. Three days later, police were again called to the site. This time they discovered two people still in the car. John Yuill was dead. His partner, Lamara Bell, was badly injured but still alive. Four days later, however, she too died from her injuries. There is no dispute that the police blundered badly in this tragic case. Scotland’s chief constable, Sir Stephen House, has apologised to the families of the two victims. The police investigations and review commissioner (equivalent to the independent police complaints commission in England and Wales) has mounted one inquiry. On the orders of Scotland’s justice secretary, the police inspectorate is mounting another, focused on the wider issue of call-handling. It would be wrong to leap to glib conclusions about the police’s failure. However, there is real concern that the recent reorganisation of and cuts to Scotland’s police service may have been contributory factors. The Scottish government must allow this issue to be properly considered. Two years ago, Holyrood amalgamated Scotland’s eight police forces into one, to save money and reduce duplication. Since then, several pre-existing police control rooms, including the one in Stirling, have been closed down, to achieve redundancies and savings worth between £5m and £7m a year. Last week it emerged that the control room near Edinburgh which took the original call about the M9 crash has a workforce absence rate of 10% and that two thirds of employees have applied for voluntary redundancy. It is a worrying picture of uncertain morale, whether any of it influenced police handling of the M9 crash or not. Opposition politicians talk of a police force in crisis. Liberal Democrat calls for suspension of the control room closure programme and this week’s Labour demands for the chief constable’s resignation are not hard to understand. The crisis in Scottish policing triggered by the M9 crash has wider UK implications. This week, George Osborne told unprotected UK government departments, including the Home Office, to prepare for cuts of up to 40% in their budgets. The chancellor’s spending review document specifically highlights the goal of “supporting the police to innovate and exploit opportunities for greater efficiency and value for money”. The message is clear: where Scotland has led on cuts and amalgamations, England and Wales may soon been forced to follow. These are big issues. They challenge long-established patterns of emergency service organisation and localism. Undoubtedly a case exists for reform. But the tragedy in Scotland is a reminder that public confidence – and even lives – are on the line too. |