Police Scotland Chief to step down

The chief constable of Police Scotland is to stand down from his post.

Sir Stephen House has been under severe pressure over the three days it took his officers to respond to a fatal crash on the M9.

He has also been criticised over armed officers being put on routine patrol and his force’s policies on stopping and searching juveniles.

Sir Stephen is to leave his post in three months’ time.

He is currently attending a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority, where he is expected to confirm the details of his departure.

The chief constable had previously indicated he was likely to stand down when his four year contract expired in September of next year.

Overseen successes

Sir Stephen, who was previously the chief constable of Strathclyde Police, oversaw the complex amalgamation of Scotland’s eight regional police forces into the single national force, which is the second largest in the UK.

Since then, he has overseen successes such as the policing of last year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

But he was criticised over his decision to put armed officers on routine patrols, as well as the force’s policy on stopping and searching juveniles.

The force is also under pressure over its response to the M9 crash in July in which John Yuill and his partner Lamara Bell died after it took three days for officers to respond to reports of their car leaving the road near Stirling.

Its officers are also being investigated by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner over the death of Sheku Bayoh.

Mr Bayoh died in police custody after being arrested following an incident in Kirkcaldy on 3 May.

‘Deeply personal’

Sir Stephen had faced calls to resign from opposition politicians in the wake of the controversies, but Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has always insisted she had full confidence in him.

Responding to the announcement, the Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said Sir Stephen had made a “monumental contribution” to policing.

The federation’s chairman, Brian Docherty, said: “He has delivered the most significant public sector restructuring in a generation against a background of a brutal austerity agenda.

“He has delivered some very impressive policing results on crimes of violence, particularly domestic violence. I have little doubt that history will prove to be kinder to Sir Stephen than the current commentary which at times has been vindictive and deeply personal.

“Many people feared that a single police service could be susceptible to political interference and those who have called for the head of the chief constable as some form of trophy need to consider that.”

Niven Rennie, president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, said on Twitter that the first chief constable of Police Scotland “was always going to be on a hiding to nothing”.

He also said that critics should “recognise the great achievements of Police Scotland in its formative years not concentrate on the mistakes.”

Mr Rennie also said Sir Stephen’s decision would give a chance to rebuild on a “crazy” two years, and that he believed a “change in style will help”.