Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Stephen House says he has never considered quitting his role at the top of the force.
The day after he suffered the humiliation of rank and file officers applauding MSP Willie Rennie’s call for him to “change or go”, he said such criticism is merely part of the job.
The row over accuracy of stop and search data continued to dog Sir Stephen.
Interviewed after welcoming new recruits at the police training college at Tulliallan on Thursday, he admitted that with hindsight some things would have been done differently but added they were done for the right reasons.
Asked if he had ever considered resigning, he replied: “No. We’ve taken eight organisations and merged them into one. In the first two years, crime has come down total crime and violent crime.
“We have dealt with significant extra demands on us and saved the money that the Government told us they expected us to save.”
Police Scotland marked its two-year anniversary on Wednesday and it has not been without its critics, most notably on stop and search, armed officers and call handling times in control rooms.
Sir Stephen said: “With hindsight anyone in public life would look back and go, ‘Well, we could have done that differently, we maybe could have done that better’.
“The question is, are we trying to do the right things?
“I believe that we are.”
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary Scotland released a damning report this week, concluding there could be no confidence placed in stop and search data released by Police Scotland.
Sir Stephen said: “I have confidence in the general size and volume of the figures. I don’t believe it is true there is no confidence in the figures.”
Political leaders addressed rank and file delegates at the Scottish Police Federation’s conference on Wednesday.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon used the occasion to back Sir Stephen but added: “No chief constable is or ever can be a law unto themselves.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Mr Rennie said he had lost confidence in Sir Stephen and he should “change his ways” or go.