SCOTLAND'S acting Chief Constable has admitted failings in the single force and promised "humility" in future.
Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone told a policing conference in Edinburgh that the formation of the single force from eight forces in 2013 had not been a "smooth journey".
Mr Livingstone, Scottish Justice Secretary Michael Matheson and Susan Deacon, new chair of the Scottish Police Authority, addressed senior officers from around the world as well as across the UK at the International Policing Conference, now in its eighth year.
Mr Livingstone said: "The process of change is significant and complex.
"Have we got everything right? No we haven’t. Have we engaged and consulted as broadly and widely as we could have? No we haven’t."
Read more: Armed police officers to patrol Scotland and be sent to routine inquiries
He said: "In the early days of Police Scotland, which was a time of rapid change in a very compressed timeframe, the organisation, and I was part of it, I was there, was too focused on procedures and process and not other people.
"As a consequence our officers, staff and also some in the communities felt that change was happening to them, not with them."
He continued: "I would stress that policing in Scotland is strong.
"Resilience can be delivered by highly motivated, capable, effective and committed individuals in every rank and role."
But he said: "We acknowledge that the change programme has not been a smooth journey.
"Did we get everything right? No we didn’t.
"We need to approach the coming months and years with a level of humility and we need to listen and learn from the experiences that we have had."
Read more: Armed police officers to patrol Scotland and be sent to routine inquiries
In one case the Bilston Glen police call centre was criticised following the deaths of John Yuill and Lamara Bell in July 2015.
The couple lay undiscovered for days after a crash on the M9 near Stirling despite a sighting of their wrecked car being reported to the control room.
In another case, police may have prevented a woman's murder by her brother if they had responded to her 999 call she made almost 90 minutes before she was found injured, investigators found.
Elizabeth Bowe, 50, was found seriously hurt at her home in St Andrews, Fife, in 2016 and later died.
Read more: Armed police officers to patrol Scotland and be sent to routine inquiries
Separately, Chief Constable Phil Gormley was placed on "special leave" in September as allegations of gross misconduct are investigated by the independent Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc).
Read more: Armed police officers to patrol Scotland and be sent to routine inquiries
Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins was suspended by the SPA after ''a number of criminal and misconduct allegations''.
Mr Higgins and Mr Gormley deny any wrongdoing.
Ms Deacon signalled an overhaul at the police governing body on week two in the job.
She said that much of "the focus in the recent past has been on the internal workings of the Scottish Police Authority itself, and that’s not where the focus should be”.
“I want the SPA itself to turn outwards.
“The focus needs to be on policing.”
Read more: Armed police officers to patrol Scotland and be sent to routine inquiries
She told the conference she wants “to take the organisation into a new chapter because I think we need to that”.
Board members have left and others’ terms end next year while more details about recruitment will be put to her first SPA board meeting next week, she said.
Read more: Armed police officers to patrol Scotland and be sent to routine inquiries
Ms Deacon will use the meeting to “shine a light on challenges that lie ahead”.
Michael Matheson, Justice Secretary, said: “There has been much discussion of leadership in Scottish policing in recent weeks and months.
“Whilst I accept it is absolutely right that this crucial public service must be subject to proper public scrutiny, I also can’t help but think that some of the discourse we have seen has been ill-judged."
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