The Scottish Government

Scotland's eight police forces are succeeding in reducing crime, improving solution rates and strengthening their links with local communities according to the 1996-97 Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland (HMCIC), which is published today.

Sir William Sutherland, in his first annual report since becoming HMCIC in September 1996, said he had been very encouraged by his first year in the post, which had been a period of great change for the police service in Scotland. He stated:

"All forces are succeeding in bringing about reductions in crime, improving solution rates and reinforcing partnerships with local communities. Service delivery has improved with forces making increasing and innovative use of technology to assist in crime prevention and detection and reduce bureaucracy with the objective of improving police cover on the streets. The year under review was highly successful in all these respects and police forces are to be congratulated on their achievements."

Sir William expressed satisfaction with the way forces and local authorities had adapted to the fundamental changes which came as a result of local government reorganisation. Chief Constables had seized on the opportunity to strengthen their staffing levels through the greater flexibility the new arrangements gave adding 271 officers and 266 support staff during the year. There was still room for improvement and he was sure that they would continue to make efforts to boost front-line policing through thinning rank structures and reducing bureaucracy where appropriate.

Sir William praised forces for the way they had focused on issues concerning their local communities and had pursued initiatives which concentrated on policing which was responsive, relevant and effective. He reported a welcome fall in recorded crime and an increase in detections. He said: "Across the country, this equated to an eight per-cent fall in crimes reported to the police. While it would be simplistic to claim that policing alone was responsible for this continuing downward trend, there is no doubt that targeted pro-active measures, together with a number of community safety projects, have made substantial inroads into the crime figures, making Scotland a safer place."

He emphasised the following points:

· Murders had decreased over the year from 145 to 101.
· Attempted murders were down from 667 to 614.
· Housebreakings dropped by 10,178 - and had fallen by 45.5 per cent since 1992.

He congratulated forces on this dramatic reduction saying "I am all too conscious that for each crime prevented there is at least one less victim and all forces are to be warmly commended for addressing this issue with such verve"

In addition great progress had been made in the fight against international and cross-border crime, particularly in relation to drugs. He endorsed developments in this area stating:

"I was pleased to see that in January, Osprey House, the home of the National Criminal Intelligence Service in Scotland (NCIS), was officially opened in Paisley. The location of NCIS alongside the Headquarters of the Scottish Crime Squad, the Scottish Criminal Intelligence Office and a unit from HM Customs and Excise National Investigation Service brings gains in intelligence handling by giving a national perspective as well as providing an international gateway for the Scottish police service. This strategic approach to tackling crime is undoubtedly the way ahead."

In his report, Sir William also highlights the issue of officer safety. Last year there were over 10,000 assaults on officers carrying out their duties and he stated that: "while this is a marginally higher number than the previous year, it is encouraging that the number of those who were injured as a consequence of assault fell to 831 in 1996/97 from 4,127 the year before and the number of those seriously injured also dropped from 89 to 60. It would appear that this dramatic reduction in the number of officers being injured must in part be due to the ongoing Officer Safety Training Programme which forces have been undertaking with zeal. If these figures continue to hold up, it would seem that the training programme well deserves its name."

On funding issues, Sir William expressed concern at the fact that pension expenditure continued to be a first call on force budgets.

Sir William was also concerned about the level of capital expenditure on Scotland's police. He said:

"Capital expenditure on Scotland's police continues to be a matter of concern and there is no doubt that increased provision would be desirable to maintain vehicle fleets and buildings and essential to provide up-to-date equipment particularly in the IT arena. The current system of capital allocation, on a year by year basis, also restricts the ability to plan phased expenditure and forces would benefit from allocation over a longer time frame."

"In terms of Grant-Aided Expenditure (GAE) I am disappointed that some police authorities and joint boards set budgets below the authorised level. As a result they lose the police grant which the Government would otherwise pay on all expenditure up to the GAE level. It is important that money allocated by Government for policing is spent on policing."

In conclusion, Sir William said: "The past year has been a progressive one for the police in Scotland and we are approaching a period of consolidation where there is the opportunity for us to build on the solid foundation that has been created. I do not say this in any spirit of complacency but in recognition of a number of national strategies that are coming together and leading to a more focused direction."

BACKGROUND

1. The annual report covers the year ended March 31, 1997.

2. Copies of Sir William's detailed introduction to the report can be faxed to media by calling the number below. Copies of the full report can be collected from Edinburgh, or mailed out to media, by calling the same number.

3. Sir William will host a news conference to mark publication of his annual report at his office in Greenside Lane, Edinburgh, at 1100 hours on Thursday, October 2. You are invited to be represented.