Eleven officers convicted of crimes, including eight for violence against women and girls, are currently on the Police Scotland payroll. Chief Constable Jo Farrell confirmed this in a letter to the Scottish Parliament's justice committee.
Ms Farrell stated there are other cases with "incontrovertible evidence" against officers that cannot be fast-tracked for dismissal under current arrangements. She also noted that the annual cost of £4.5 million for 80 suspended officers is due to "sluggish" conduct arrangements and the time required for court cases.
The Chief Constable described the situation as "intolerable" and advocated for a modernisation of the police conduct regime. Justice Secretary Neil Gray supported Ms Farrell's view, confirming that regulations have been introduced to Parliament to allow Police Scotland to act more quickly in cases involving convictions.