Police watchdog warns of delays to investigations as workload rises sharply

Scotland’s independent police watchdog has warned investigations into policing incidents could be delayed, saying it lacks the resources it needs to cope with a sharply rising workload.

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) said in the fourth quarter of last year, it saw a 239% rise in the number of investigations started, and this increased demand has continued into 2025-26.

Grounds for an investigation include serious injuries or death following police contact, allegations of criminality by officers, and instances of serious officer misconduct.

The body is also projecting a 250% increase in the number of complaint handling review (CHR) applications from members of the public – where it reviews policing bodies’ handling of complaints made about them.

Pirc said more resources are needed if it is to “deliver the level of service that the public and others expect”.

Addressing a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority on Thursday, Commissioner Laura Paton said “over 95%” of its investigations are directed by the Crown, meaning the body has “no discretion” about whether to undertake them.

She continued: “The Crown has issued a standing instruction that all allegations engaging Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights come to Pirc for investigation, and that includes all allegations of assault made by a member of the public against the police.

“It’s really these cases that make up the majority of our investigative workload.”

She added the rise is a “direct result” of the change to the law on corroboration introduced in late 2024, which she said has resulted in “a significantly higher proportion of cases referred to Pirc now proceeding to investigation”.

She said in 2024/25, the body’s performance in completing investigations within its 90 or 120-day targets was “very good” – but it is now expecting them to take longer.

“The increase in demand that began in the last quarter of 24-25 has a real impact on what we are able to deliver,” she told the meeting.

“While we can remain focused on delivering high-quality investigations, we are not going to be able to complete those investigations as quickly as we would like, and as quickly as we had done in the past.

“That means that the complainer and the subject officer required to wait longer for an outcome, and it also has an impact on our staff.”

She attributed the projected rise in CHRs to Police Scotland’s current complaints “backlog”, explaining that clearing this will result in additional demand on Pirc.

“As well as over 600 live complaints, (Police Scotland) has a backlog of over 1,050 unallocated complaints, with another 525 complaints awaiting assessment by the National Complaints Assessment and Resolution Unit,” she said in the 2024/25 Pirc annual report, which was being presented at the meeting.

“It is expected that efforts by Police Scotland to address this backlog, including securing funding to appoint 26 additional complaint handlers, will result in Pirc experiencing an increase in demand for CHRs.”

She also said Pirc had seen a “surge” in inquiries from the public about complaints made about the police, often before Police Scotland’s own investigations into them had been concluded.

The commissioner, who took up the role last April, said Pirc needs additional resources if it is to cope with the rising demand – despite an uplift for next year already having been secured.

“We have received an uplift for next year, for which we are grateful, although it is not all that we consider that we require,” she said.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We remain committed to supporting Pirc to ensure we have robust and independent oversight of policing.

“Our draft 2026-27 budget provides £8.5 million for Pirc – an additional £1 million, or 13.5% – in recognition of the additional demands being placed on the organisation.”

Assistant Chief Constable Lynn Ratcliff said: “A local complaint allocation plan has recently been implemented resulting in unallocated complaints, requiring investigation, being allocated to local and national divisions to contact complainers and investigate their complaint.

“To maintain consistency and compliance with Pirc statutory guidance, the Professional Standards Department is providing initial training, support and quality assurance checks.

“The aim of this plan is to effectively resolve outstanding complaints and increase the visibility and understanding of complaints in divisions, while maintaining the quality, addressing matters efficiently and identifying learning.”