Commenting on the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner’s joint assurance review into fingerprinting practices in Police Scotland, UNISON Police Staff Scotland branch secretary David Malcolm said:
“This report highlights the severe staffing pressures facing police staff in Scotland’s custody centres.
“Custody staff are working in extremely demanding environments and are responsible for a wide range of important duties, yet Police Scotland is not giving employees the resources needed to properly carry out their jobs.
“Staff are operating under sustained pressure, regularly working through breaks and struggling to take annual leave because there aren’t enough people to cover the work.
“This report should be a wake-up call to the Scottish government. Ministers have to ensure police staff have the resources needed to carry out the vital work they do.”
Notes to editors:
– Police staff include 999 call takers, emergency dispatchers, scenes of crime officers, custody officers, financial investigators, crime analysts, fingerprint experts, counter-terrorism specialists, cyber-crime investigators, digital forensic staff, CCTV operators and many other roles.
– UNISON is the largest union in Scotland with its members delivering police services, social care, education, local government, NHS, utilities and energy. They are employed in public, private and voluntary sectors. It is the union for police staff.
– The Scottish Biometrics Commissioner’s joint assurance review examined the acquisition, retention, use and destruction of fingerprints for criminal justice and policing purposes in Scotland.