< Previous | Contents | Next >

Tayside Police Primary Inspection 2002

Executive Summary & Recommendations

Efficiency and Effectiveness

This Primary Inspection of Tayside Police, conducted during April 2002 confirms the force is efficient and effective.

Under the current leadership a purposeful programme of change is being progressed. This embraces key facets of service delivery for the public together with professional improvements in force. Notable issues include crime management, community planning, communications and equal opportunities. The force has made strenuous efforts to improve the quality of crime recording and to invigorate the management selection process. These efforts are commendable and the recommendations made by HMIC recognise the momentum of this programme to help reinforce progress.

HMIC specifically commends the force for:

• The introduction of a 'victim based' policy on crime recording and management.
• The structured evaluation of the pilot phase of introduction of the National Intelligence Model to the force.
• Working practice directed at reducing the occurrence of late renewals of shotgun and firearms certificates.

HMIC also noted many items of good practice, which included:

• The formation of a Lay Advisory Group to help develop relationships with local minority ethnic communities.
• The introduction of mobile CCTV units in tackling crime and the fear of crime.
• The partnership initiative with Barnardo's, aimed at providing comprehensive support for victims of domestic abuse and support for children of domestic abuse.
• Efforts made to increase accessibility to the police by victims of abuse.

Service Improvements

There are a number of recommendations identified by HMIC which reinforce ongoing developments in force. In the main they embrace:

• incorporating all major projects within an overall programme management framework and refining the force planning process;
• consideration of the balance of police professional experience and specialist support staff expertise within the IT and Communications Department;
• the continuing review of the provision of Occupational Health and Police Casualty Surgeon Services;
• developments in the area of community safety;
• a review of the arrangements for the custody and care of prisoners;
• developments in the areas of crime management; and
• enhancing the Best Value Service Review Programme by further utilising project planning.

In addition HMIC has taken the opportunity to highlight certain issues which are of national significance for consideration by ACPOS, including:

• consideration of whether the nationally agreed Staff Appraisal System is meeting the current and anticipated needs of forces;
• examination of procedures and practice currently in place to address and manage grievances within the work place;
• the importance of a structured approach to the introduction of the National Intelligence Model thoughout Scotland; and
• a review of the current and future strategy for DNA sampling to assist maximum operational benefit from this facility.

Recommendations

It is anticipated that following publication of the Report, the force will devise an action plan to progress the recommendations, which will be the subject of future review by HMIC.

HMIC recommends:

Leadership

Senior Management

1 that the force incorporate all major projects within an overall programme management framework with the objective of minimising delay in progressing prioritised projects (paragraph 1.11).

Policy and Strategy

Strategic Planning

2 that an integrated planning process be developed to ensure communities and staff are consulted, that guidance is given on divisional and departmental plans and strategies, incorporating clear milestones for delivery and that performance measures and targets are aligned to the objectives contained within plans (paragraph 2.15);

Information Technology

3 that the force critically examine the structure and all posts within the IT and Communications Department to ensure an appropriate balance of police professional experience and specialist support staff expertise (paragraph 2.29).

People Management

Staff Appraisal

4 that the force tackle the current backlog of staff appraisals and that through ACPOS consider whether the nationally agreed Staff Appraisal System is meeting the current and anticipated future needs of forces (paragraph 3.10);

Harassment and Grievance

5 that ACPOS critically examine procedures and practices currently in place to ensure that systems are sufficiently robust to address and manage grievances within the work place effectively (paragraph 3.29);

Occupational Health and Welfare

6 that the force continue to prioritise the review of the provision of Occupational Health and Police Surgeon Services within the force to identify sustainable, effective services which will meet the current and anticipated future needs (paragraph 3.46);

Partnership and Resources

Community Safety

7 that the force develop a system of effective monitoring and evaluation of its involvement and commitment of resources to community safety partnerships (paragraph 4.16);

Police Community Safety Structure

8 that the force set out its strategic intentions for community safety providing clear direction, a corporacy of approach and support for divisions (paragraph 4.19);

Domestic Abuse

9 that the force review the operational handling, supervision and recording of incidents of domestic abuse to ensure accordance with force policy (paragraph 4.48);

Financial and Resource Management

10 that the force prepare a Finance Function Business Plan setting out objectives, priorities, performance measures and improvement targets (paragraph 4.64).

Processes

Care and Custody of Prisoners

11 that the force review its arrangements for the custody and care of prisoners paying particular attention to matters of custody management, health and safety and staff training (paragraph 5.39);

Crime Management

12 that the force review its current crime management strategy to take full advantage of the benefits provided by an integrated and co-ordinated approach (paragraph 5.75);

Crime Management (Intelligence)

13 that the force, as part of its continuing approach to mainstream the National Intelligence Model within Tayside Police, further develop a project plan, with specific tasks, a timescale and evaluation criteria to support developments in this important area (paragraph 5.90);

14 that ACPOS recognise the importance of a structured approach and puts in place tight project discipline for the introduction of the National Intelligence Model throughout Scotland (paragraph 5.90);

Crime Management (Scientific Support)

15 that ACPOS review the current and future strategy for DNA sampling to assist maximum operational benefit from this facility (paragraph 5.102).

Annex A - A Joint Report on Best Value within Tayside Police

1 that the force ensure that within the Service Review Programme, each service review has a defined project plan, which allows for the monitoring of planned and actual timescale from project initiation to completion (paragraph 40).

< Previous | Contents | Next >