ABERDEEN MSP COMMENTS ON FUTURE OF FORENSIC SERVICES IN CITY

ABERDEEN MSP COMMENTS ON FUTURE OF FORENSIC SERVICES IN CITY

Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North has welcomed the publication of an options paper from the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) into the future structure of Forensics Service in Scotland.

Mr Adam, as well as other North East MSPs, campaigned for a wider review of forensic services after the Aberdeen Forensic and Fingerprint Laboratories were threatened with closure.

The options paper published by the SPSA today is open for comment until the 20th of August, with Tom Nelson, Director of Forensic Services anticipating that the SPSA board will make a final recommendation to Kenny MacAskill, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, during September.

Mr Adam said:

“I very much welcome this paper published today which is another step forward to resolving the uncertainty over the Aberdeen labs and for their staff.

“I am disappointed that two of the four options would see the forensic and fingerprint labs in Aberdeen closed or reduced to just 12 to 15 staff members.

“This prospect is still worrying for me, and I will be interested to hear staff and Police Forces reactions to these proposals.

“In the coming weeks I hope to have meetings with staff and talk to other stakeholders before putting forward my own responses to this paper.”
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