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Tayside Police Primary Inspection 2002
Annex B
HMIC Thematic Inspection Reports Update
Reported Force Progress on recent/selected HMIC Thematic Inspection Reports
'For Police Eyes Only' Special Branch Thematic Inspection 2000
HMIC notes:
- The adoption in 2001 of Tayside Police Ports Strategy. Initial meetings
with Customs and Excise and Immigration Service have laid the foundation for
the development of local Memorandum of Understanding and Service Level Agreements
on the exchange of information and more formal joint working arrangements.
- The experience of use of Tayside Special Branch performance indicators.
- The amendment of the Heads of Special Branch job description to ensure clarity
and the inclusion of a reference to performance.
- That the Head of Special Branch designation has been re-instated at Inspector
level. This enables the Director of Intelligence, Detective Chief Inspector,
to have an over-arching supervisory role of both the Force Intelligence Bureau
and Special Branch, allowing dissemination of intelligence without compromise.
- The position that in the short term VIP protection would rest with Special
Branch.
- That force instructions in respect of the carrying of personal protective
equipment will be complied with by Special Branch officers.
- That Tayside Special Branch no longer retains nationality records in manual
form. All are recorded on the NSBIS system.
'Making Crime Pay' Confiscation of Criminal Assets in Scotland
HMIC notes:
- The process undertaken by the Financial Investigation Unit in carrying out
an initial assessment of assets available for confiscation in each individual
case and for consultation with the Procurator Fiscal and Crown Office.
- That FIU duties are detailed in a separate 'job description' which is held
at Human Resources and clearly sets out what is expected within the role.
- That Tayside Police has now placed the FIU within the FIB in line with current
guidelines. This allows for full involvement in pro-active crime investigations
and input to intelligence cells, set up for major crime investigations.
- That officers within FIU have aligned themselves with the strategic threats,
identified for the force, and provide assistance in the investigation of Domestic
Housebreakings, Vehicle Crime and Drug related crime.
- That Tayside Police has limited the persons who attend the Asset Confiscation
Course to the two officers within the FIU. The only exceptions to this are:
- The Fraud Support Officer, who assists FIU in the presentation of profiles.
- An officer within FIB who stands in during absences for leave, sickness,
etc. to provide a robust response to the requirements of the Unit.
- That in order to make effective use of resources, the FIU currently utilise
the expertise of the Fraud Support Officer on a part-time basis. This allows
for the officers within the unit to concentrate on the gathering of evidence,
without having to spend time analysing and presenting it in a format for court
purposes.
- That the sharing of information has been facilitated by the introduction
of legislation and memoranda of understanding in relation to:
- Customs and Excise
- Department of Work and Pensions
- Inland Revenue
- That the above has increased the effectiveness of the FIU as exchange of
information had previously been on an ad hoc basis.
- That FIB officers research the intelligence, command and control, and crime
management systems to ensure that suitable targets for asset confiscation
are identified.
- That Tayside Police FIU currently ensure that financial disclosures received
from NCIS are investigated to the agreed national standard as set by ACPOS.
- That the FIU conducts pro-active investigations in relation to persons targeted
by HQ Crime Management through the HQ TT&CG forum.
- That performance indicators, including those provided by the ACPOS Crime
Standing Committee, Multi-agency Working Group on Asset Confiscation are in
place.
'A Fair Cop?' The investigation of complaints against the police in Scotland
This area is the subject of inspection in the main report (paragraph
5.1-5.16).
'A Value Judgement?' Report on Best Value within the Police Service in Scotland
This area is the subject of inspection in the main report (Annex
A).
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