Police chief admits mistakes made in setting up national force
- Published
Mr Livingstone had been in interim charge of the national force, which is the second biggest in the UK, since last autumn
Police Scotland's new chief constable has acknowledged mistakes were made in the creation of the national force five years ago.
Iain Livingstone, who officially took office on Monday morning, said the force "had not always engaged with communities sufficiently".
Mr Livingstone said this was due to the need to maintain an operational grip on policing.
Speaking to new recruits, he said: "I know it's not one size fits all."
Mr Livingstone said the force, which has been embroiled in a series of controversies since its formation in 2013, had "come through a challenging period with renewed purpose".
He said: "I acknowledge that we didn't get everything right at the outset of Police Scotland.
"The need to maintain an operational grip on policing meant that sometimes we moved too quickly, we didn't engage with our communities sufficiently.
"We were seen to impose national policies on local areas. Consistency and compliance came before local diversity."
'More devolved service'
He added: "That approach has brought benefits. For example, we can now say with certainty that every homicide in Scotland is dealt with to the highest possible standard.
"Every domestic abuse case is treated in the same way regardless of where the victim lives.
"But I know that it's not one size fits all. It's my intention to build a more devolved policing service that better meets the needs of local communities."
Mr Livingstone was confirmed as the new chief constable of Police Scotland on 15 August.
He had been in interim charge of the national force, which is the second biggest in the UK, since last autumn.
He stepped in while the previous chief constable, Phil Gormley, was being investigated over allegations of gross misconduct.
Mr Gormley quit in February despite continuing to deny any wrongdoing.