The Scottish Government

This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007

Listen

Seeking better community engagement

23/03/2004

Proposals designed to enhance the relationship between police and communities and improve community involvement are among recommendations in a report published today by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).

The report - Local Connections - Policing With the Community - proposes that the public should play a more active role in shaping local police services and priorities - to ensure these are more relevant to local needs.

The community planning aspects of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 provides the strategic framework for this, by encouraging forces to work with other partners from social work, housing, education and other services, to share information and engage with local people in decisions which affect their communities.

The report recommends:

• The extended use of public perception surveys to engage with local people on policing priorities
• That forces review how they consult with local people and organisations to maximise the potential for joint consultation and information sharing with local partners
• That the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS), in consultation with the Scottish Executive, ensures that the development of national performance indicators is consistent with local community planning
• That ACPOS develops a national community policing strategy to create a more standardised approach to this police role, recognising recent developments in community planning, community intelligence, problem solving, restorative justice and warden schemes
• That forces exploit the opportunities presented by warden schemes to engage with communities and provide greater public reassurance
• Those forces exploit the opportunities presented by Volunteer Centre Network Scotland to engage volunteers and maximise the potential for active community participation
• That ACPOS examines future developments in call centre provision to establish the potential for a non-emergency telephone number to be shared with other council services

Assistant Inspector of Constabulary Kenny McInnes said:

"Improved community engagement will help address the gap between service delivery and public expectation. It is about building a new model of policing where the public understand the conflicting goals which police managers must reconcile, and have an influential voice in setting priorities. This will help give people greater say in how their communities are policed.

"Community engagement is multi-faceted. It is about community policing and how the police and the public relate to each other, active citizenship and the involvement of volunteers through the Special Constabulary or in other support roles, and how the police service works with other services to improve community safety.

"The modern community police officer requires enhanced skills. Developments in community safety, including joint problem solving, community intelligence gathering, restorative justice measures and increased civic involvement present an opportunity to redefine the community policing role and address the competencies needed to be a mediator, problem solver and a community leader.

"This signals a return to traditional models of community policing and the well established principle that the police are the public and the public are the police, and recognises that this central relationship, between the police and the community, is critical to the success of a civic renewal agenda.

"The landscape is changing. Communities will soon become used to the sight of warden patrols on their streets and forces will need to ensure that these contribute to the overall community safety effort. Partnership working and data sharing protocols will ensure joined up working for the benefit of communities."

During the study, HMIC undertook:

• Circulation of comprehensive protocol questionnaires to Scottish police forces followed by force visits and interviews with force executives, senior managers, patrol and community officers and special constables
• Visits to police forces to examine community engagement arrangements and collate good practice
• A study of community policing models and consultative arrangements in Chicago, Northern Ireland, London, Surrey and Bradford
• Structured meetings with a project advisory group with representatives from ACPOS, ASPS, the Scottish Police Federation, Scottish Enterprise, Youthlink Scotland, Young Scot, Volunteer Centre Network Scotland and the Scottish Local Authorities Community Safety Forum
• Qualitative research on the media impact on public reassurance

this report completes three linked studies by HMIC in relation to practical service delivery:

1. Narrowing the Gap - Police Visibility and Public Reassurance - Managing Public Expectation and Demand (December 2002)
2. Partners in Crime - Solving and Reassuring (October 2003) - A Thematic Inspection of Crime Management in Scotland
3. Local Connections - Policing With the Community (March 2004) - A Thematic Inspection of Community Engagement in Scotland

Taken together, these reports offer an informed guide towards the strategic development of policing in Scotland.