Scotland's biggest police force has been strongly criticised for taking five years to deal with a complaint against one of its officers.
Scotland's biggest police force has been strongly criticised for taking five years to deal with a complaint against one of its officers.
In a report to be published today, Jim Martin, Police Complaints Commissioner in Scotland, says the complainer was treated badly by the force and questions whether this was through "maladministration, incompetence or a desire to avoid thorough investigation of his complaint".
He says the force provided "inconsistent and conflicting updates" on the status of the complaint and did not give the matter serious consideration until the intervention of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and his office.
His report states: "It would appear that the force did not give the matters raised by the complainer any serious consideration until the repeated intervention of both HMIC and my office."
The complainer, whose identity is withheld for legal reasons, first raised concerns with the force on October 22, 2003 when he claims he received threatening text messages, via the mobile phone of his girlfriend, from her ex-husband, a serving police constable.
One of the texts warned: "Stay and the police will be round to pay you a visit."
The following day, the complainer and his girlfriend, Mrs X, returned to their local police station to discuss their concerns. Then the complainer's car was vandalised and he feared it was by the same constable.
The complainer and his girlfriend also told police that the constable had threatened to "fit him up".
He was later charged, taken to court and then admonished for assaulting one of the constable's relatives.
The report states: "The complainer stated that he believed Constable A was involved in setting him up' and continued to complain to the force about Constable A's previous actions.
"The complainer was convicted of an offence on January 30, 2006, and his sentence was deferred until August 24, 2006, when he was admonished."
In the following five years, 15 Strathclyde officers were involved in the complaint. The force has now been asked to "revisit" the case.
Mr Martin said: "Five years is a very long time. Strathclyde Police has mishandled a complaint alleging threats made by a serving police officer, allowing it to drag on.
"After a detailed review I remain unclear whether this is down to maladministration, incompetence or a desire to avoid thorough investigation of the complaint.
"I am also concerned that Strathclyde Police over a period of around six months provided inconsistent and conflicting updates to my office and to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary."
A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman yesterday said: "We received this report this afternoon and are reviewing its contents. We are committed to ensuring the quality and professionalism of all investigations."
