Next chief constable needs empathy and to be inspirational
The next chief constable of Police Scotland will command an organisation of nearly 18,000 highly-skilled and dedicated police officers.
Officers who deliver one of the best policing services on the planet, who in the most austere of times are adapting to organisational change on an unprecedented scale and who have become the biggest political football in the country.
Police officers are looking to their next chief to give them breathing space, to shield them from the incessant attacks on their service, efforts and profession. They want the public to hear about the successes, they want a leader to show communities they should be proud of what their officers deliver.
And officers need to know what is expected of them. We see new demands on our service rising exponentially while we work with ageing cars, collapsing buildings and ancient IT – damning legacies of former police boards that amnesiacs speak so fondly of.
Counter-terrorism capability, historic sexual abuse inquiries and cyber-investigations don’t just need new equipment, they need police officers too. Enough is enough, the cupboard is bare and officers are running on empty.
More work requires more funding. The chief constable needs to be given more than duct tape to create a sustainable policing model. The service is beginning to tackle its problems but the pace is slow. As an emergency service we have to react, dynamically and decisively – to be where we are after five years simply isn’t good enough.
Most importantly, with responsibility for a £1 billion budget and liability for risks and challenges few can comprehend, our next chief constable needs to take his or her people with them, show empathy, be inspirational and ensure improving their wellbeing becomes a culture, not just a project.