| Chapter 6:
Operations |
| Crime |
| 6.1 In
1997/98 reported crime in the force fell by just over 13%
from the previous year, the largest percentage drop of
all of the Scottish forces. The force also maintained its
excellent detection rate, clearing up 67% of all recorded
crime. However the crime figures available at the time of
the Review inspection showed that the fall in crime may
be levelling out. This appears to be in line with the
most recent trend emerging in some other parts of
Scotland and which forces are monitoring closely. |
| Crime Management |
| 6.2 The
force is looking at its management of crime and a project
team is carrying out work to co-ordinate the development
of crime management throughout the force. Inverness
Command Area already has a full time Crime Management
Unit and, at the time of the Primary inspection, HMIC
commented that "it was disappointing to note that
there is no articulated purpose of the unit nor
evaluation of its performance". |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 6.3 A
review of the Inverness Unit has not been undertaken and
HM Inspectorate was not convinced that the Unit was
operating in a way which delivered a corporate approach
to addressing crime problems in the local area. It
was disappointing to note that there appeared to have
been no significant action in response to the primary
inspection comments. A pilot crime management unit is now
up and running in Lochaber and an evaluation of both
these Units will be an integral part of the project
team's work. A number of other command areas were also
making progress and were well on the way to developing
local crime management. This would certainly seem to be
in line with the concept of devolved resource management.
However, the force wish to ensure that good practice
emerging from local units is spread throughout the force |
| 6.4 Staff in
some of the smaller Command Areas were keen to adopt the
principles of good crime management but saw the setting
up of additional specialist units as being beyond their
resourcing capabilities. Whilst this difficulty is
recognised it should not impede local managers from
seeking improved ways of working within existing
resources. HMIC would encourage the force to ensure
that any system addresses the real issue of
"managing crime" by developing intelligence led
policing through sustained crime pattern analysis,
briefings, and targeted patrols, rather than becoming a
mainly administrative process. HMIC will be interested to
see how crime management develops but commends the force
for striving to provide an improved service to the
victims of crime in what is a traditionally low crime
area with an excellent record of detection. |
| Drugs |
| 6.5.
Officers in Northern Constabulary are becoming all too
aware that distance from the urban central belt is no
longer a defence against trafficking in drugs and drug
related crime. The force Drugs Squad has run a number of
successful operations over the year and assistance from
the Scottish Crime Squad has allowed it to extend the
scope of its investigations. |
| 6.6 The
Primary Inspection Report noted that the force was about
to appoint Drug Liaison Officers to each of the Command
Areas and asked that this new role be reviewed after 12
months. |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 6.7 The
officers took up their posts in October 1997 and the
review was still pending at the time of HMIC's
inspection. Area Commanders were finding these officers a
valuable additional resource and a number of them were
spoken to during HMIC's visit. It was however felt
that greater clarification of the officers' role was
required so that they were more fully integrated into the
intelligence gathering and crime management process.
HMIC noted that, for the year to date, drugs related
crime had increased significantly in four of the Area
Commands, was fairly static in two and had reduced
considerably in the remaining two areas. This is seen by
the force as a consequence of focused police activity
rather than any major underlying trend. |
6.8 The
Primary Inspection Report had suggested that recording
procedures for drugs related issues required to be
developed in order to enable the force to make
comparisons such as:
- "difference
between possession and supply related charges
- distinction between
stop searches and premises searches
- the proportion of
criminal intelligence, including informant
intelligence which relates to drugs and
- whether the number of
registered drug addicts has increased or
not".
|
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 6.9 Little
progress had been made with regard to this and it was not
common practice for statistics in relation to the
possession or supply of drugs to be broken down in the
way recommended. In consequence of this omission
operational officers are attempting to address drug
issues with an incomplete picture of local and force
trends. HMIC records that this recommendation has not
been acted upon and reiterates its view that a fuller
analysis of drug related statistics is essential if the
force is to address the issues in a professional manner. |
| Review Inspection |
| Recommendation 7 |
| HMIC recommends that the force undertakes
fuller analysis of drug related statistics and
intelligence along the lines previously recommended by
HMIC so as to better inform operational policing. |
| Asset Confiscation |
| 6.10 The
Primary inspection recognised the fact that the force was
preparing to address the subject of asset confiscation,
in an effort to prevent criminals benefiting from the
proceeds of their crimes. Officers have now been trained
in this task and have already undertaken four substantial
asset based investigations, all of which are the subject
of pending court cases. |
| Domestic Violence |
| 6.11 The
Primary Inspection Report commented on the very positive
approach that the force was taking in response to
domestic violence and that a project team had been set up
to develop local procedures. Comprehensive guidance has
now been produced clearly setting out force policy and
the responsibilities of staff. Each Area Command has
designated trained Domestic Violence Liaison Officers
whose job is to ensure that appropriate follow up action
is taken in respect of reported incidents and this
initiative is further supported by a co-ordinating role
undertaken by area inspectors or chief inspectors.
Officers spoken to displayed a good level of knowledge
not only of procedural matters but also of the wider and
more complex issues surrounding domestic violence. A
number of initiatives were underway in Command Areas to
publicise the work of the police and other agencies in
this field. |
| Scenes of Crime |
| 6.12
Identification Bureau staff usually attend all scenes of
crime within reasonable travelling distance of Inverness.
CID officers are trained to provide this service
elsewhere. Outwith the main towns, CID presence is
limited and in some of the Area Commands uniformed
operational constables have been trained to undertake
basic scenes of crime examinations, thereby enabling a
quick and efficient response to victims. However in other
areas, although equipment has sometimes been provided,
this practice was not being pursued often due to lack of
training. During the inspection, HMIC was made aware of
one round trip of over 200 miles being undertaken by CID
officers to carry out a scenes of crime examination,
apparently in consequence of the fact that more locally
based officers did not have appropriate equipment and
training. HMIC considers that the force needs to
review its practices in relation to scenes of crime
examination so that best use is made of the resources
available. |
| Community Liaison |
| 6.13 At the
time of the Primary Inspection Report, concern was
expressed over the lack of progress in developing a
co-ordinated approach to community safety and it was
suggested that the matter needed to be taken forward by
local authorities. |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 6.14 The
Headquarters Crime Prevention and Community Liaison
Departments have now come together under the umbrella
title of Community Safety, reflecting the wider outlook
of the force. Local Community Safety Officers are now
well established within the Area Command structure. An
inspector has been appointed as a Partnership Development
Officer with Highland Council and since June 1998 has
been working to support the local authority in its
community safety leadership role. Presentations have
been run for the local authority area committees and
management teams and, in October 1998, Highland Council
launched its Community Safety Strategy. Good progress has
also been made in developing links between the Planning
Department and the Force Architectural Liaison Officer in
helping to design out crime at an early stage. |
| 6.15 The
Assistant Inspector of Constabulary met with
representatives of the other three constituent councils,
where community safety is also being progressed taking
advantage of existing multi-agency groups. HMIC would
urge all the parties to ensure that the drive to take
this common approach forward is maintained. In some
police areas this has been achieved by earmarking unused
central government grant for this purpose and Northern
Constabulary may wish to consider this option. (See
Chapter 3). |
| 6.16
Reference was made in Chapter 2 to the "Three Tier
Community Consultation" process setting out the
levels at which liaison between the police and various
local bodies should take place. All of the local
authority officials and elected representatives spoken to
by HM Inspectorate during the inspection were extremely
complimentary about the support and day-to-day contact
they had with the police area management teams and
operational officers. However HMIC felt that police
liaison with the constituent authorities tended to
gravitate mostly towards those councillors who were
members of the Joint Police Board rather than with
representatives of the Local Authority as a whole. This
practice is perhaps enforced by the Chief Constable's
Annual Report which states that Area Commanders "are
now encouraged to actively engage with their local Police
Board members in ensuring that accountability at
that level is achieved". The force's Three Tier
Consultation document states that consultation at
command level includes the "Local Authority".
Whilst HMIC recognises the difference between
accountability and consultation there is some evidence of
local commanders feeling uncertain as to whether
structured consultation with the local authority was
encouraged by the force. This issue was particularly
acute in the three island commands each of which has the
same boundaries as local government and is isolated both
in geographic and cultural terms from force headquarters.
In consequence of this, liaison with local government
tended to be conducted on the basis of informal meetings
with no set agenda or record of discussions. Whilst HMIC
recognised the value of this type of relationship it
nevertheless considers that in a modern police service,
which is responsible for millions of pounds of public
expenditure, a more professional approach is required. We
would therefore recommend that the force takes steps to
remove any remaining doubt that liaison between local
commanders and local government is positively encouraged
and that future discussions take place in a more formal
structure with an agenda and minutes. This is
particularly the case in the three island commands. |
| Review Inspection |
| Recommendation 8 |
| HMIC recommends that the force clarifies its
position so that liaison between local commanders and
local government is positively encouraged and that future
discussions take place in a more formal structure with
agenda and minutes. |
| 6.17 One
issue that was raised with HMIC by the Island Councils,
was the forthcoming review of the structure of policing
in Scotland. There was evident concern that the outcome
would not be to the benefit of their communities as
previous experience with rationalisation of other service
providers had been perceived as drawing resources to the
centre and the abandonment of a local presence. There was
a fear that, if there were to be any amalgamation of
forces, it would be the peripheral areas which would
suffer. HMIC feels that it has an obligation to draw
these very genuine and sincerely held concerns to the
attention of the Secretary of State. HMIC is supportive
of the Chief Constable's policy of devolving resources
from Headquarters to Area Commands and is very much in
favour of local autonomy and accountability. Whatever the
future model for the policing of Scotland, HMIC holds the
view that it should be firmly based on local command
areas with genuine devolved responsibility of a kind
which ensures that communities have locally identifiable
and accountable policing. The recommendations set out
separately in our recent report on the financing of
policing in Scotland entitled "Credit to the
Force" support this view. |
| Traffic |
| 6.18 The
Primary Inspection Report looked in detail at the Traffic
Department and some associated issues which resulted in
three related recommendations. |
| 6.19
Primary Inspection Recommendation 9 |
| "If the
force is to retain some responsibility for road safety,
it is recommended that consideration be given to
civilianising the police officer posts in common with the
practice adopted in other forces". |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 6.20 At the
time of the Review inspection, the agreement of the Force
Executive had just been gained to "civilianise"
the post currently held by a sergeant within the traffic
department. It is understood that the delay in taking
action was in consequence of the need to review the role
of the post and that the position has now been
advertised. |
| 6.21
Primary Inspection Recommendation 10 |
| "that
civilian support staff be recruited to undertake the
administrative duties presently performed by police
officers employed on camera enforcement duties". |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 6.22 At the
time of the Review Inspection this matter was still on
the agenda of the Human Resources Practitioner Group and
did not appear to be close to implementation. It is
understood that whilst the force is sympathetic to the
principle there is concern at the financial implications
and a perception that further civilianisation may incur a
budgetary penalty under the present Scottish Office
funding formula. Nevertheless, HMIC encourages the
force to progress this recommendation. |
| 6.23 The
Primary Report commented on the lack of electronic breath
testing devices available and was concerned that this
reduced the effectiveness of the force's efforts to curb
drink driving. It recommended: |
| Primary
Inspection Recommendation 11 |
| "that
electronic breath testing devices be more widely
distributed as soon as the new (government approved)
equipment is available". |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 6.24 The
force plans to have the new equipment in all eight
command areas by the spring of 1999. This should greatly
assist officers in tackling the problem of drink driving
and the road traffic accidents it causes. |
| 6.25
Although the total number of road accidents for 1997/98,
at 4073, was 1.5% lower than in the previous year, the
number of people killed had risen from 36 to 46. Officers
in the Traffic Department were well aware of the
recurring problems which led to accidents and deployed
their resources accordingly. The Primary Inspection
Report observed that "if the traffic department is
to provide the best possible service, more emphasis will
have to be placed on producing a realistic and measurable
set of objectives each year which can be shown to support
the force objectives". |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 6.26 The
force has now produced a Road Safety Strategy but this
did not seem to have translated into the Traffic Unit in
the form of objectives and action plans and again HMIC
was concerned that the planning process was not impacting
on what was being delivered on the street. In the
Highland Region the Community Safety Steering Group, on
which the force is represented has the remit of
addressing a range of issues including road safety, from
a multi-agency perspective. Nevertheless HMIC would
welcome the development of a more structured approach
clearly setting out actions and timescales aimed at
delivering practical outcomes at street level.
Abstractions from the Traffic Department caused by
ill-health and secondments were seriously impacting on
its ability to adopt a pro-active approach and may be
something that the force would wish to address. |
| Police Use of Firearms |
| 6.27 The
Primary Inspection Report raised two issues, relating to
the police use of firearms firstly that there was no
system for ensuring an even distribution of Authorised
Firearms Officers (AFOs) across shifts and geographical
areas and, secondly, that there was a need for the
firearms team to be provided with a high profile marked
police vehicle. |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 6.28 HM
Inspectors found a high degree of awareness amongst area
commanders of the need to maintain a balance of skills
among their staff, and the availability of firearms
officers was seen as a priority. However there were
concerns that transfers of staff could change the
situation quite suddenly and HMIC considers that there
requires to be central oversight in the distribution of
AFOs across the force. Control room staff are kept
updated as to the AFOs on duty at any one time and were
clear on the procedures to be followed in response to a
firearms incident. HMIC was encouraged to see that as
well as good call out procedures being in place, these
were physically tested several times a year. A well
equipped marked police vehicle has now been provided for
the use of the firearms team. A new range facility near
Daviot has also proved valuable in maintaining
professional standards. |
| Emergency Planning |
| 6.29
Primary Report Recommendation 12 |
| "that
the force develops a strategy to cater for media
involvement during major incidents". |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 6.30 At the
time of the Review inspection, this process was well
under way and comprehensive training had commenced. The
Media Services and the Emergency Planning Departments
were carrying out a series of talks to Area Command
personnel. A seminar on major incident media handling had
also been held in July for all public relations officers
and emergency planning officers throughout the Highlands
and Islands. |
| Firearms Licensing |
| 6.31 While
recognising the high volume of work that the force has to
undertake in relation to the licensing of firearms, the
Primary Inspection Report commented on HMIC's concern
over the "sizeable number of firearms certificates
due for renewal (which) had not been processed in due
time" and recommended: |
| Primary
Report Recommendation 13 |
| "that
procedures be put in place to ensure that firearms
licences and certificates are renewed on time". |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 6.32 HMIC
noted that the Primary inspection recommendation had been
acted upon and that the force was up to date with the
renewal of firearms and shotgun certificates. Recent
changes to legislation have provided forces with a two
year period in which there will be no need to process
renewals, and Northern Constabulary are using this time
to look at their firearm licensing procedures. However
this lull is due to end at the beginning of the new
millennium when renewals will start again. By that time
it is important that procedures are in place which will
prevent a re-occurrence of the back log of work, evident
at the time of the Primary inspection. |
| 6.33 In
examining the procedures which the force was considering
for introduction, HMIC was concerned that they appeared
to be capable of the interpretation that it was intended
to allow a two week period after the expiry of a
certificate before positive action was taken. HMIC would
see such an arrangement as effectively condoning the
unlawful possession of firearms. HMIC considers that the
force needs to re-examine this proposal and its legal
implications more fully in order to remove any ambiguity
on this point. The revised policy should clearly set
out the force's position so that officers on the ground
are left in no doubt about what they are being asked to
do. The present standing order on the subject is being
revised, and HMIC would urge the force to address this as
a matter of priority |
| Civil Actions |
| 6.34 The
Primary Inspection Report commented on the relatively
high number of civil actions being made against the force
and that "the procedure for providing information
about these and tracking their progress was poor and in
need of overhaul". |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 6.35 At the
time of the Review inspection, discussions were taking
place with the force's insurers to develop a better
administrative system for following the progress of civil
claims. Whilst HMIC notes this development it is
nevertheless hoped that this issue can now be progressed
with greater speed. |
| Lost and Found Property and Productions |
| 6.36
Although it was found that set procedures for dealing
with found property and productions were being followed
well, the Primary Inspection Report highlighted
shortcomings over the lack of suitable secure storage
facilities and the difficulty, in the absence of a
central recording system, of matching up found property
with loss reports. The Inspection Report recommended: |
| Primary
Inspection Recommendation 14 |
| "systems
for dealing with lost and found property and court
productions be reviewed". |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 6.37 At the
time of the Review inspection, this matter was being
addressed through one of the Practitioner Groups and
there had been considerable consultation between the
Administration Service Unit and the Area Commands. The
new headquarters building incorporates dedicated space
for the secure storage of productions and it is hoped
that this will reduce the difficulties caused by the lack
of suitable storage space within the Identification
Bureau. |
| 6.38 The
force recognises the limitations of their present
administrative arrangements for lost and found property
and there is clear support for the introduction of a
forcewide computerised database. They are however aware
that this will need to be prioritised against competing
demands. Nevertheless, Area Commands had been reviewing
their local procedures to ensure that there is an
exchange of details with stations where reports of lost
or found property are likely to be received. While
visiting Thurso, HMIC staff were made aware of an
Australian tourist who had successfully had his camera
restored to him despite reporting that it had been lost
"somewhere" between Ullapool and Thurso. |
| Media Relations |
| 6.39 The
Primary Inspection Report, while recognising the
important role played by the media manager, also
recognised that much of the day to day contact fell to
officers within Area Commands, and noted that no in-force
training was provided. Recommendation 15 stated: |
| Primary
Inspection Recommendation 15 |
| "a
policy document setting out roles and responsibilities of
personnel dealing with the media be prepared". |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 6.40 The
media manager arranged and ran a media skills training
course at the Scottish Police College exclusively for
Northern Constabulary officers. Participants, selected
by Area Commanders, are now undertaking an identified
media liaison role within their local areas, and due to
the success of this initiative a second course has been
planned. A lecture on "media matters" is
now an integral part of in-force training for
probationary constables and newly promoted sergeants and
inspectors. A rolling programme of secondments to
Media Services for operational officers is also providing
increased awareness and developmental opportunities.
However HMIC was disappointed, that, despite being in the
final stages of preparation, no policy document in
dealing with the media had been issued to the force at
the time of the Review inspection. |
| Other Matters |
| 6.41 In the
course of travelling about the Constabulary and talking
to officers and support staff, a number of issues were
raised which HMIC feels the force may wish to address.
These mostly concern the day-to-day policing challenges
faced by officers in remote areas. |
| 6.42 Vehicles |
| Officers
in some of the remoter parts of the force had concerns
about the suitability of the vehicles allocated for
patrol duties, given the extreme weather conditions
common to the area and the frequent necessity of
negotiating farm tracks to gain access to land and
dwellings. Instances were spoken of in which officers
had been unable to follow suspect drunk drivers and on
one occasion it had been necessary to borrow a four by
four vehicle from a member of the public to undertake a
search for a missing woman and child. Whilst recognising
the anecdotal nature of some of these reports, and the
fact that no police force has ever succeeded in
fulfilling the wishes of all of its officers with regard
to equipment, HMIC would nevertheless suggest that in
view of the unique geography of the force a review the
distribution of four wheel drive vehicles might be
appropriate. |
| 6.43
Mobile Phones |
| Given the
increasing coverage that is now being offered by mobile
phone service providers in the Highlands and Islands, the
force may wish to consider the operational and health and
safety benefits of providing this means of communication
to officers working primarily on their own in isolated
areas. This is particularly the case in areas of poor
radio reception where the expanding range of mobile phone
cover offers a viable safeguard. |
| 6.44 |
| Management
Visibility |
| HM
Inspectorate staff appreciate the unique challenges which
the geography of Northern Constabulary creates
(particularly having driven, sailed and flown over a
considerable part of it in the course of the inspection).
However in some of the smaller stations visited we were
told that it had been a considerable time since staff had
seen anyone above the rank of Inspector. HMIC
acknowledges the present day responsibilities of managers
within the service, particularly with the increasing
devolving of responsibility, but feels that it is
important for the area management to get out and about.
HMIC is certain that this visible measure of support
would be welcomed by officers on the ground. |
| Conclusion |
| 6.45 All
eight Area Commands were visited during the
pre-inspection and inspection and HMIC is very
appreciative of the open and helpful way in which
enquiries were met and the frank and informed discussion
that this led to. Inspectorate staff were impressed by
the dedication of officers and support staff, and by
their quiet self-reliance and acceptance of
responsibility towards the force and its communities. In
carrying out the inspection a small insight was gained
into the unique nature of policing in an area, not only
geographically diverse, but one with widely differing
social, cultural and linguistic traditions. It has not
been the purpose of the Review inspection to look at
every aspect of policing within Northern Constabulary but
to address in particular the issues raised during the
Primary Inspection Report. However in the course of the
inspection HMIC became aware of many positive local
initiatives as well as much solid day-to-day police work.
Whilst elsewhere in this report we have recognised the
managerial developments which have taken place under new
leadership it would be wrong to pass by any comment on
operational policing in Northern Constabulary without
paying tribute to the men and women who deliver that
service often in extreme conditions of physical
isolation, and whose daily dedication forms the
foundation of successful policing. |
| |
