Police officers with only three weeks’ training were deployed during Cop26, it has emerged.
Some of the 140 officers were sent to the Glasgow climate summit, described as the biggest policing operation in Scotland’s history, while other were deployed across the country to support policing elsewhere, according to the justice and social affairs magazine 1919.
Probationary officers are usually given 12 weeks of training before deployment.
One of the probationers, who spoke to the magazine, claimed she was abused and spat at by a man resisting arrest, who was found to be carrying a knife. She was also called to a sudden death.
Police officers stand guard outside the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) venue, in Glasgow, Scotland
Dylan Martinez
The senior officer accompanying the probationer said: “I’ve got 15 years in the job and I’ve been a tutor for seven or eight years, and it’s only really when resources are rock bottom.
“She and a lot of others have just been punted out after three weeks and the only thing they know about the law is their common sense.”
Deputy chief officer David Page, who oversees staffing at Police Scotland, said: “We utilised 140 probationers undergoing officer training with Police Scotland during the Cop26 policing operation.
“The majority were sent to our local policing divisions and departments around the country and were tasked with assisting business as usual, while others were deployed to work specifically at Cop26.
Police outside one the gates during the official final day of the Cop26 summit in Glasgow.
Andrew Milligan
“This is not the first instance of deploying probationers to assist with major policing operations, as a number of probationers were deployed last year to assist in the early stages of our response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“These recruits had all received instruction in core policing skills, first aid and officer safety training prior to being deployed, and the skillset and readiness of each officer was taken into account.
“They were accompanied on deployment by experienced officers.
“The officers who were deployed will return to the Scottish Police College at Tulliallan later this month and will complete the remaining weeks of their training.”
Boris Johnson is escorted by police as he arrives by train from London at Glasgow Central station on his return to the city for meetings at the Cop26 summit.
Andrew Milligan
David Hamilton, the chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, said: “Nobody would choose for officers with just three weeks’ training to be deployed in an operational environment.
“This however is policing in 21st century Scotland where we simply can’t afford not to use every resource that we have.
“I was surprised to meet a number of these probationers at Cop26 as they were only ever meant to be backfilling in ‘business-as-usual’ – but they were being well looked after by their colleagues and I’m sure will have picked up some important skills and experiences.
“However, I suspect those who were working in ‘business-as-usual’ will have had the biggest shock and hope that the volume of demand, lack of resources and danger they face every day doesn’t discourage them from returning to finish their training.”