Plans to remove Scotland's Police Complaints Commissioner role have been described as "regressive" by the man currently holding the post.
Responsibility for dealing with police complaints could go to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO).
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| Professor John McNeill said the cost to taxpayers was unclear |
Professor John McNeill said handing his role to a general complaints body could damage public confidence.
The planned reform was recommended by the Fit-For-Purpose Complaints Handling Action Group in 2008.
Prof McNeill, who was appointed as the commissioner in August 2009, made the comments as part of a consultation into the move, which was launched by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.
He said: "The police enjoy very significant powers to intervene in our lives; the public's consent and trust in them hinges on the robustness of the oversight applied to their actions.
"Any perceived scaling back of that oversight would be a regressive step that could erode trust and undermine public confidence in the police.
"Doing away with a dedicated police complaints oversight body and moving its functions to a general complaints oversight body will go against the powerful trend in police oversight elsewhere in Europe and many other progressive jurisdictions."
Prof McNeill also criticised the timing of the proposal, ahead of a planned consultation on fire and police reform, due to start in February.
He said: "As matters stand, the cost of any transfer and in particular whether it is likely to place a greater or lesser burden on the taxpayer remains wholly unclear."
Prof McNeill's views were echoed by Professor Maurice Punch, visiting professor at the London School of Economics, who added: "Policing is about some of the most fundamental principles of how the state treats its citizens. What society needs and everyone wants is policing that is accountable and based on integrity."
The consultation into transferring police complaints is part of the Scottish government's wider consideration of moving intermediate complaints handling bodies into the SPSO.
A government spokesman said the move was work to make external scrutiny of public services "efficient and effective".
He said: "It is vital that the public continues to have confidence in our police service and where there are concerns about how complaints are handled these must be addressed effectively.
"All responses to the consultation will be carefully considered and the Cabinet Secretary for Justice will announce his decision in due course."
1 February 2011
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