Police chief’s ‘taxi ride’ to England in patrol car

  • Scottish Chief Constable apologises for ‘error of judgement’

By Graham Grant For The Scottish Daily Mail[1]

Published: 22:21, 23 November 2023 | Updated: 23:12, 23 November 2023

Scotland’s police chief commandeered a patrol car driven by an officer to take her on a ‘taxpayer-funded taxi ride’ to her home in England, the Mail can reveal.

New Chief Constable Jo Farrell arranged for the car to take her from Edinburgh[2] on the cross-Border trip on a Friday night last month.

Ms Farrell, who took over as the GBP248,724-a-year Chief Constable of cash-strapped Police Scotland on October 9, was previously boss of the Durham force, and her family home is in Northumberland.

Eleven days after she started the top job she was chauffeured home in a patrol car after being picked up from Edinburgh Waverley – where she had discovered there were widespread train cancellations.

It comes amid warnings Police Scotland is facing a financial crisis as officer numbers fall to a 15-year low. Ms Farrell last night apologised for her ‘error of judgment’ after being confronted over the ‘taxpayer-funded taxi ride’.

Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell

Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell

Scottish Tory justice spokesman Russell Findlay said: ‘This is a -concerning start to the new chief’s tenure, and while her apology is -welcome, it is important that the Scottish Police Authority establishes the full facts of this incident.

‘Hard-working frontline officers who put themselves in danger every day are already feeling the impact of SNP cuts, and expect the chief to lead by example.’

A senior police insider said: ‘A lot of ordinary cops will think she has shown some cheek given the scale of cuts police are facing – this isn’t the time for the chief to be taking a taxpayer-funded taxi ride.’

In a statement, Ms Farrell said: ‘I requested my office to arrange for a car to drive me home to the -Northumberland area after work.

‘I was unable to complete the journey by train as services had been cancelled and my own police vehicle was unavailable. I have apologised for this error of judgment.’

It is understood that the Chief Constable has a police driver – either an officer or civilian – and a dedicated unmarked vehicle.

Ms Farrell, 55, arranged for the patrol car, driven by an officer, to take her to Northumberland at the end of the working day on Friday, October 20, after Storm Babet had caused severe disruption to public transport.

It is understood she is -living in Edinburgh while she looks for a permanent base in Scotland.

The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) said it is ‘aware the Chief Constable used a police vehicle following the cancellation of a scheduled train journey. The chair has discussed this with the Chief Constable who has apologised. The authority -considers the matter closed’.

It emerged last night that Ms Farrell was joined on the 120-mile journey south by a former colleague from Durham Constabulary.

It is understood Ms Farrell was dropped at her home in the -Northumberland area while the male colleague is believed to have been taken to Gateshead.

The Police Scotland officer then had to make his way back to Edinburgh.

David Threadgold, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, was sharing a table last night with Ms Farrell at the organisation’s annual awards ceremony in Edinburgh. He said: ‘If the Chief Constable has made an error of judgment then it’s appropriate she apologises for that.’

Ms Farrell took over as the GBP248,724-a-year Chief Constable of Police Scotland in October Ms Farrell took over as the GBP248,724-a-year Chief Constable of Police Scotland in October

Ms Farrell took over as the GBP248,724-a-year Chief Constable of Police Scotland in October

Retired serious crime and drug squad officer Simon McLean told The Sun: ‘It’s totally inappropriate and not the impression you want to make on your new force in the first few weeks – misabusing resources like that, it’s terrible.’

It was reported last night that the officer who was behind the wheel was out of action for around six hours during their shift.

Ms Farrell is due to make her first appearance at the SPA public board meeting in Edinburgh on Thursday, when swingeing budget cuts will be discussed in detail.

The single force is in financial -crisis, with top brass imposing ‘slash and burn’ cutbacks including a plan for only one patrol car to cover the whole of Scotland – while police manpower is at a 15-year low.

Ms Farrell started her first day in the post as chief, taking over from Sir Iain Livingstone, by condemning the force as ‘institutionally discriminatory’.

She made the comment as she formally took command last month in a swearing-in ceremony at the Scottish Police College in Tulliallan, Fife.

Ms Farrell underlined her determination to drive an anti-discriminatory agenda after her predecessor, who retired in August, said the force was institutionally racist and sexist.

She said: ‘Having considered Sir Iain’s reasons, I agree Police Scotland is institutionally discriminatory.’ Ms Farrell vowed to prioritise trust, confidence, performance and officer and staff wellbeing.

Police Scotland is postponing an intake of 200 probationary officers in January amid funding pressures.

Ms Farrell is the fourth Police Scotland chief since 2013. The tenure of Sir Stephen House, the first to take charge, was defined by two scandals: the M9 tragedy, when a woman was left dying for three days by the roadside because of police call-handling blunders, and the death in custody of Sheku Bayoh.

Both are subject to ongoing probes.

His successor, Phil Gormley, quit Police Scotland in the midst of -bullying allegations.

Sir Iain, who replaced him, quit two years before the end of his contract.

Top cop hunted killer – and cleared Sir Keir of currygate

Jo Farrell helped lead the hunt for Raoul Moat during her time as superintendent in Northumbria Jo Farrell helped lead the hunt for Raoul Moat during her time as superintendent in Northumbria

Jo Farrell helped lead the hunt for Raoul Moat during her time as superintendent in Northumbria

Jo Farrell has kept a low profile since taking up the job of Chief Constable less than six weeks ago – but now an ‘error of judgment’ has put her under the spotlight.

It is a relatively rare misstep in a meteoric career which has seen her tackle some of the highest-profile cases in Britain.

Ms Farrell rapidly rose up the ranks after joining Cambridgeshire Police as a beat bobby at 22 – within a decade she was a chief inspector for Northumbria Police, later promoted to Assistant Chief Constable.

As superintendent in Northumbria she helped lead the hunt for Raoul Moat, pictured, who blinded policeman David Rathband during a deadly rampage in July 2010.

Moat killed one and injured two others before killing himself.

Ms Farrell said at the time the ‘disappointment is that the families of his victims did not see justice’.

She rose to prominence as Chief Constable of Durham Constabulary in the pandemic, when she did not authorise officers to question Boris Johnson’s then chief adviser Dominic -Cummings over his Barnard Castle trip.

Her force also cleared Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer after he was pictured drinking beer and eating curry with colleagues in Durham.

References

  1. ^ Graham Grant For The Scottish Daily Mail (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  2. ^ Edinburgh (www.dailymail.co.uk)