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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 In the past, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary ( HMIC) inspected Scottish police forces and common services on a rolling five-year programme. A primary inspection would initiate the cycle, beginning with a comprehensive desktop examination of all aspects of force/service activity at strategic level. Subsequent fieldwork focused on areas of business that attracted particular attention due to performance levels, variations from common practice or concern about the approaches followed. The process would also look for examples of good practice from which other forces or common services could learn. The primary inspection was followed by 2 review inspections conducted at approximately 18-month intervals. These focused on the following:
- progress on the recommendations made in the preceding primary inspection;
- progress on the suggestions identified in the preceding primary inspection;
- national developments in policing;
- events or developments relevant to the particular force, as identified through HMIC Knowledge Management Unit's environmental scanning process;
- outcomes of the force's self-assessment and internal inspection work;
- outcomes of other external scrutiny, for example of the Police National Computer ( PNC) Audit, Health and Safety Executive ( H&SE) inspections, Audit Scotland studies and audits, and Commission for Racial Equality ( CRE) reports; and
- a review of performance information, leading to a risk-assessed focus on any area seen as under-performing.
1.2 Our methodology for review inspections required the force or service to respond to a focused set of questions based on areas selected from the list above. In this way, the inspection remained both relevant and evidence-based. We would also carry out a detailed crime audit to assess force compliance with the Scottish Crime Recording Standard.
1.3 This second review inspection of Lothian and Borders Police examines the force's response to recommendations and suggestions made in our primary inspection report of 2003 and still outstanding following the first review inspection in 2004. It also covers additional issues that arose during the 2004 review.
1.4 We recognise that our recommendations must be considered carefully by the force, often have resource implications, and may need to be approached in a phased and prioritised way. If, as it may, a force chooses not to follow or adopt a recommendation, it must set out an argued case for not doing so. We may in turn comment on this, but the debate is a public one for the police authority, Ministers and the wider public.
1.5 This review, which is made public through the police authority and the HMIC website, is part of the transparency and accountability process of a police force.
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