News In Focus
8 April 2009
Evaluation recommends extending police use of civilian investigators
An independent evaluation has reportedly recommended that a pilot scheme in which civilians carry out some investigations for police should be extended to other areas of Scotland.
The Scotsman reports today that a draft report of an evaluation of the Priority Crime Unit, set up in 2008 by Central Scotland Police, has found it delivered a number of benefits.
The unit was established to deal with “volume crime” such as theft and vandalism. Tasks carried out by its investigative assistants include reviewing CCTV footage, interviewing witnesses and carrying out door-to-door inquiries. So far it has gathered evidence on 3,500 crimes.
Its benefits are said to include saving police time, delivering a better service to victims and giving prosecutors a single point of contact.
Critics have called the Falkirk-based unit "policing on the cheap", but police chiefs believe the unit has justified its existence and are hoping it wil be extended to other areas.