Duty of candour in new police oath should reassure public, senior officer says

A cohort of police recruits has become the first to swear a newly amended oath of office, with a senior police officer saying a new duty of candour should “reassure” the public.

The new oath was sworn by 100 recruits at the Police Scotland College in Jackton, near Glasgow, on Thursday afternoon.

Unlike the previous oath, it includes a duty of candour, which was created under the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act following Lady Elish Angiolini’s review of police complaints in November 2020.

The review made 81 recommendations in total, with 34 requiring legislative change to be implemented.

Police Scotland explained that the new duty – which brings the total number in the oath up to 11 – means officers “act with openness, professionalism and truthfulness in their dealings and proceedings”.

It also makes clear, the force explained, that officers attend interviews and assist and participate in proceedings “openly, promptly and professionally, in line with the expectations of a police constable”.

Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs, who was present at the swearing-in ceremony, said existing officers will not be required to go back and swear the revised oath.

“I think officers are in a very privileged position,” he said.

“I think the public should be reassured that with us introducing candour into our oath of office, it just gives a greater focus on their trust, transparency and professionalism.

“But that’s a standard that we expect from the officers who are currently serving. So this is just an adjustment, and we wouldn’t expect officers to undertake another oath of office.”

He added: “Taking the oath of office is a significant moment for our latest recruits and the new duty of candour further cements our commitment to values-based policing.

“It is a legislative standard of behaviour as well as an organisational requirement of all officers and staff and came into effect on June 25 this year.

“The new legislation puts an enhanced focus on our values and standards. It strengthens our integrity and increases public confidence by making clear that Police Scotland will not tolerate behaviours which fall below the standards expected of everyone in policing.”

In an interview with the PA Media news agency, Mr Speirs was also asked how he would ensure the new cohort of recruits does not suffer the levels of “burnout” reported among officers across Scotland.

According to recent figures, last year the number of officers taking time off work because of psychological conditions including stress, depression and PTSD stood at 1,236, compared with 814 in 2021.

Figures released earlier this year also showed that since 2019 mental health issues have led to officers taking a total of 440,630 days off, leading many commentators to describe the force as being at “breaking point”.

Mr Speirs acknowledged the demands on policing are “huge”, and that policing is “a role like like no other”.

He continued: “So we work really hard to ensure that we have wellbeing at the heart of everything we do, and we have a lot of provision to support officers when they’re dealing with more traumatic incidents.

“What I would say is that the calibre of our recruits is really good. We have a rich pool of people seeking to join the police, and we’re very, very selective.

“Those we bring forward, and those who will take the oath of office this week, have just embarked on a very intensive initial training programme, but that programme continues over over the next two years

“So we’ll work hard in the training phase to prepare our new recruits – who have got lots of life experience – for what they might face as a police officer.”

The officer also paid tribute to the recruits for “stepping forward to keep our communities safe”.

“They are signing up to a hugely rewarding and demanding career where people will turn to them for help, often in the most critical and vulnerable circumstances.”