Police watchdog recommends call handling improvements as dead man’s family plan to sue

Police watchdog recommends call handling improvements as dead man's family plan to sue

Kate Frame

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) has made recommendations to Police Scotland concerning improvements to police call handling.

It follows an investigation which found that three calls made by the concerned mother of 51-year-old Barry Croal, whose body was later discovered at his home, were not handled appropriately.

Mr Croal’s family have told The Herald that they have hired a lawyer and intend to sue Police Scotland following the findings of the report.

His daughter Sinead, 27, said: “All they have done is put the call handlers in training, and my dad’s lying in a graveyard.

“It’s not going to bring my dad back. All the cases just seem to get written off the same.”

In her report, Commissioner Kate Frame said that despite Mr Croal’s mother phoning police three times on 20 February 2017 to report concerns for her son’s safety, no action was raised and no police officers were sent to enquire about his safety.

It was not until she phoned for a fourth time on 22 February 2017, more than 38 hours after her initial calls, that officers were sent out to Mr Croal’s home in Fallin, Stirlingshire, and found him dead.

In the report published today, the Commissioner said there was evidence of an apparent reluctance to transfer calls from Mr Croal’s mother to the correct department, as she had chosen an incorrect call option.

The PIRC investigation also found that there was no guidance available to Police Scotland Service Centre staff on how to deal with “dropped 101 calls” from members of the public.

The COPFS instructed the PIRC to carry out an investigation into the circumstances of the call handling and actions taken within the police Area Control Room, and in particular, consider whether the actions taken by the call handler in relation to the first call were appropriate.

Commissioner Frame said: “Despite Barry Croal’s mother repeated efforts on 20 February 2017, in three calls to Police Scotland, to communicate her concerns about her son’s safety she received little assistance in resolving those concerns until she phoned Police Scotland for a fourth time, two days later.

“In her earlier calls, she made it clear to both police officers and a member of civilian staff that nobody had seen her son for a number of days and that she had been unable to get into his house because it appeared that the door had been locked with keys from the inside.

“Barry Croal’s mother experienced a variety of failures by three separate police personnel within a ten minute period, which must have undoubtedly been very frustrating and ultimately a distressing experience for her.

“This episode provides the opportunity for further learning and improvement by Police Scotland, to ensure that staff act appropriately and provide the correct level of service to members of the public seeking their assistance.”

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