Scotland's police forces have failed to secure minimum quality assurances from the new agency set to take over all of their IT systems in just six weeks.
Senior officers are understood to have real concerns over the future of their vital computer networks, which will be handed over to the controversial Scottish Police Services Authority.
One police insider last night warned of "serious reservations" over the handover, which is due to take place on April 1.
The SPSA yesterday admitted that none of the eight regional forces had signed a service level agreement - a document setting out the minimum standard of work they are prepared to accept - but insisted they were all on track to do so by the end of next month.
A spokeswoman for the authority said: "Based on the progress that has already been made, we fully anticipate that the agreements will be in place by April 1, which was the timescale always envisaged."
Some forces are already at public loggerheads with the SPSA over what many senior officers see as creeping centralisation. The Herald last week revealed embryonic plans to give the new agency control over sweeping areas of policing, including serious fraud, motorways and air support.
SPSA was set up to secure efficiencies in back-office functions, such as IT and procurement. Many senior officers are sceptical about any further role. Some also remain to be convinced that the agency can make savings and improve IT.
Steve House, the Chief Constable of Strathclyde, told his joint police board: "Strathclyde Police is simply trying to make sure we get no reduction in the quality of service."
Glasgow Liberal Democrat councillor Christopher Mason, who sits on the Strathclyde board, yesterday said: "We are being asked to hand over responsibility for something which is vitally important to Strathclyde Police and SPSA is unable to satisfy the Chief Constable that they are able to meet his service requirements. It is rather difficult to imagine anything more serious than that."
The handover will take place whether the eight forces sign their service level agreements or not. Talks for some could drag on after April 1, The Herald understands. A spokeswoman for the SPSA said: "Should further consultation be required this will not impact on business continuity as the support services we provide today will be the minimum that will continue going forward."
A spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland said his organisation and the SPSA continued to have a "close working relationship" on the IT transfer. He said: "Service level agreements will be put in place which ensure that provision is at the same high level after 1 April this year as it is at present."
The Scottish Government last night said the IT handover was "a matter for the eight forces and SPSA". As reported by The Herald last week, a senior civil servant has written to chief constables and police boards warning that, in her view, further public debate on the SPSA and its future functions was "unhelpful".
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