Scottish Liberal Democrats respond to appointment of new chief constable

Responding to Police Scotland announcing the appointment of its first female chief constable, Jo Farrell, who will replace Sir Iain Livingstone in August, Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said:  

“I welcome Jo Farrell to her new position, and I wish her every success in leading Scotland’s police service.  

“The SNP’s botched centralisation of Scottish policing created a raft of challenges. It's clear from past staff surveys that they feel the service and its resources are stretched to the limit. Officers and staff are also picking up the pieces of Scotland’s mental health crisis and desperately need more specialists working alongside them.

“Jo Farrell’s appointment is a chance to inject localism back into the service, boost mental health support and protect policing budgets to keep communities safe.”

Reflecting on the challenges ahead for Police Scotland and Sir Iain Livingstone’s remarks that the service is “institutionally discriminatory and racist,” Scottish Liberal Democrat deputy leader and former police officer Wendy Chamberlain MP said:  

“The outgoing comments from Sir Iain Livingstone point to profound problems at the heart of Scottish policing.  

 “I would like to see Jo Farrell adopting the sensible recommendations proposed by Mark Hamilton’s recent report into the culture and operating practices of Police Scotland, including a review into the recruitment and selection process for the firearms unit.  

 “We also need to see officers prevented from exiting the service or retiring before disciplinary or misconduct procedures can take effect."