SPA Warning On Hidden Police Scotland Guns

Police Scotland should not assume arming police with hidden guns will automatically remove the sense of public unease and concern caused by carrying them on show, the force's public watchdog has warned.

The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) said public concern about armed police on routine calls may have been less widespread than media and civic comment suggested''.

A narrow majority'' of 53% supported the policy but asignificant minority'' of 37% opposed it, SPA director of strategy and performance Tom McMahon announced at a briefing on the watchdog's inquiry into armed policing.

Police Scotland is currently considering equipping officers with concealed holsters rather than visible sidearms, but Mr McMahon warned this may not allay public concern.

It is also considering equipping officers with body cameras and its pledge to consult the public before taking a decision was welcomed by the SPA.

The lack of public consultation on armed officers greatly contributed to the public unease when they were seen attending routine incidents such as road traffic collisions and minor crimes, the SPA said.

The SPA's findings will inform Police Scotland's decision to carry guns on show or concealed, a senior officer said.

Police Scotland's current firearms deployment provides greater public protection than the inadequate'' response of the old eight forces, he said.

The SPA said the decision to deploy firearms without consultation raised questions about the limits of Chief Constable Sir Stephen House's operational independence, governance and accountability to SPA.

Mr McMahon said: The public attitudes survey suggests that, overall, there may have been less widespread concern and loss of confidence in Police Scotland over this policy than the tone of media coverage and civic comment may have suggested.

HMICS has already concluded that public concerns about the deployment of armed officers grew from the limited communication around this issue from 2012 onwards including engagement with the SPA.

We heard many times during the inquiry about the power of imagery on this issue.

The sight of an armed officer wearing a sidearm generated powerful reactions, whether seen personally or in the media.

It has certainly been suggested in the course of public debate that Police Scotland would better reassure the public if arms were not visible while being carried.

From our evidence, this is certainly open to question.

Our inquiry finds that if Police Scotland was to consider moving to covert carriage, then it shouldn't assume that this would automatically remove any sense of public unease and concern.''

SPA board member Iain Whyte said: The issues raised around firearms policy have generated questions about effective governance and the Chief Constable's accountability to the SPA.

In particular, where the limits were drawn around the Chief Constable's operational independence to make these decisions.''

Police Scotland should engage with SPA, local authorities and communities prior to making any further non-time critical adjustments to the standing authority, deployment or mode of carriage of firearms'' and anything else that could have a significant public impact, he said.

Bernie Higgins, assistant chief constable for operational support and strategic lead for firearms at Police Scotland, said: We particularly welcome the findings that public confidence in policing has remained high throughout, because internally that is what we have found as well with our own public consultation surveys returning around 80% high levels of satisfaction in the way Police Scotland goes about its business.''

He added: We are currently reviewing the carriage system for weapons carried by our armed officers, and also the functions they perform when they are not deployed to firearms incidents.

Clearly, the report published this morning will go some way towards where that piece of work goes.

I also think it is important to highlight that the difference in specialist firearms protections to communities and officers prior to the creation of Police Scotland was quite inconsistent and, in my view, inadequate across the country given the intelligence and evidence available at that particular moment in time.

By having a small number of specially-trained firearms officers available 24 hours a day we can ensure that all our communities have access to that specialist police capability at a time of greatest need.''