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Strathclyde Police: Primary Inspection 2000

Introduction

1. The formal Inspection of Strathclyde Police was conducted between 19 June and 6 July 2000 by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Mr William Taylor and Her Majesty's Lay Inspector Mr Graham Harcus. HM Inspectors are grateful for the assistance provided throughout the Inspection process by the Chief Constable, Mr John Orr and his staff.

2. At the time of the Inspection, the Chief Constable had advised the Police Authority of his intention to retire from the Force in June 2001. HM Inspectorate acknowledges the immense contribution the Chief Constable has made to Strathclyde Police, the Scottish Police Service and the wider police scene.

3. This Inspection is the second Primary Inspection of a force to be conducted after a review of the Inspection process in Scotland. The result is a report structured on the "Business Excellence Model". It focused on areas deemed to be of greatest priority following an assessment of Force plans and other documentation and after taking into consideration matters raised in the last Review Inspection of the Force in 1998. Those functions and services not subject to formal Inspection on this occasion may well be considered in the future. The Inspection encompassed a number of headquarter functions, visits to 3 territorial divisions and discussions with partners and other agencies.

4. The methodology used included examination of a wide range of documents, an analysis of responses by the Force to specific HMIC questions and pre-inspection work by staff officers using protocols covering the areas to be examined. For the first time HMIC used specific inspection software designed to record evidence gathered during the pre-inspection stage. The aim of the combined use of protocols and the dedicated software is to achieve a more effective and focused inspection with an emphasis on outcomes and performance.

5. During the course of the Inspection evidence was gathered from documentation provided by the Force, including policies and specific action plans. In addition to this, an important contribution was made during interviews with staff at all levels of the organisation. Views on the performance of Strathclyde Police were also obtained from members of the Joint Police Board, Local Authorities, the Judiciary, the Crown and other stakeholders.

6. The Inspection took place at the end of the first year following the restructuring of divisional boundaries. This was a major step for the Force, reducing from 15 divisions to 9. This improved conterminosity with local authority areas. Restructuring to this extent has resulted in the creation of large divisions in both geographical and staffing level terms. The Force has managed this transition well and although there is much still to be settled, the resultant closer community links are already apparent. It was too early in the transition for HMIC to undertake a detailed inspection of the impact on service delivery but this is likely to be a focus in future inspections.

7. Restructuring of functions and roles at headquarters had also taken place, with further adjustments planned. This included a reduction of one assistant chief constable, 4 chief superintendent posts, 5 superintendents and 9 other ranks (see paragraph 1.14).

8. An inspection is designed to examine particular dimensions of a police force. Further information about the Force and its achievements are to be found in the Chief Constable's annual report.

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