Business Plan: challenging year, but cautious optimism for months ahead
The PIRC 2021-22 Business Plan, outlining the organisation’s key priorities for the year ahead, has been published.
The four strategic priorities underpin the PIRC’s aim to increase public confidence in policing through independent scrutiny of their actions and how they handle complaints. They are:
- 80% of all investigation reports are submitted to the referring body within 3 months of the start of the investigation;
- 90% of all referrals are assessed and an investigation decision taken within 5 working days of receipt of relevant information;
- 80% of Complaint Handling Reviews cases finalised within four months of receipt;
- To demonstrate effective and efficient governance.
Commissioner Michelle Macleod said:
“The past year has proved to be the most challenging the organisation has ever experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted hugely on all our lives.
“The professionalism, commitment and flexibility of everyone in ensuring that we have continued, almost seamlessly, to deal with day-to-day business, often with the combined pressures of caring for others and home schooling, is highly commendable.
“This is typified by an attendance rate of more than 98%. We have continued to provide a vital service, that is central to improving policing in Scotland."
The organisation’s ability to meet its strategic priorities will be determined to a large extent by many of the challenges identified last year, such as the Dame Elish Angiolini report, COP 26 and the forthcoming Sheku Bayoh public inquiry.
The Commissioner added:
“Looking forward, there is cautious optimism that we can begin to emerge from the pandemic and return to some kind of ‘normality’ by the second half of the year.
“Our COVID Working Group has already carried out a substantial amount of work in preparing for our eventual return to the office and this work remains ongoing.”