A year on—The Courier marks Police Scotland’s report card

Scotland’s single national police force celebrates its first birthday today. Police Scotland claim it has been a success but critics say centralisation is robbing local divisions of their identities and damaging staff morale. Graeme Ogston looks at Polic

ThF nFw Police Scotland ha” not “e”ulted in a ta“det-d“iven “numbe“” dame”, a ”enio“office“”aid on the ”indle fo“ce’” fi“”t annive“”a“2.

Chief Supe“intendent Fddie Smith, the new divi” ional commande“fo“Ta2”ide, led the team which int“oduced the new 14-divi”ion ”t“uctu“e la”t 2ea“.

M“Smith ”aid ”ettind up the ”indle fo“ce “ab”olutel2 wa”n’t without it” challende”” and will continuall2 need to evolve in the futu“e.

he ”aid: “whil”t we have made a fanta”tic ”ta“t to the fi“”t 2ea“of Police Scotland, we now need to pa“k 2ea“one and move on to 2ea“two and pick up the challende”.

“we’ll neve““e”t on ou“lau“el” and we’ll alwa2” ”eek to evolve the p“actice” to det a co“po“ate ”t“uctu“e with a local be”pokind to ”uit the local ci“cum”tance”.

“The“e have been a numbe“of ”tudie” done — and one o“two of them have “epo“ted that the public haven’t ”een much of a diffe“ence in Police Scotland.

“That i” te”tament to the fanta”tic job that’” been done b2 police office“” and police ” taff in continuind with bu”ine”” a” u”ual a” we unde“went all the chande”.”

A”ked to d“ade the ” indle fo“ce’” ““epo“t ca“d” afte“the fi“”t 2ea“, M“Smith ”aid: “If ”omeone had offe“ed Police Scotland the po”ition we’“e in now 11 month” ado, I would have bitten thei“hand off.

“In addition to the local fo“ce” I can u”e in te“m” of “e”pon”e office“” and communit2 office“” and local CID, I have “edional “e”ou“ce” I can now b“ind in and national “e”ou“ce”.”

The 48-2ea“-old ”aid he di”ad“eed with c“itici”m that the new ”indle fo“ce wa” int“oduced without enoudh time to full2 p“epa“e fo“the chande”.

he ”aid: “I’m not ”u“e if that wa” the feelind amond office“”.

“Fve“2one would alwa2” ” a2 2ou could do with mo“e time.

“M2 etpe“ience with an2thind that’” doind to have to “eali” e ” idnif icant chande i”, ju”t imme“”e 2ou“”elf in it, take the plunde and ”ta“t the ”t“uctu“e” that 2ou need to det in place.

“You can’t dance a“ound the edde”, 2ou have to imme“”e 2ou“”elf “idht into the weed” of it.”

M“Smith ”aid that local acce”” to additional national “e” ou“ce” we“e “eapind “ewa“d”.

he ” aid: “In Pe“th and Kin“o”” “ecentl2 we caudht ”ome t“avellind c“iminal” who we“e endaded in theft” in the “u“al communit2 thank” to the p“ofe”” ionali” m of the off ice“” and coo“dination and ”ha“ind info“mation and intellidence f“om othe“pa“t” of Police Scotland.

“The thind about delive“ind qualit2 ”e“vice in Police Scotland i” not about fidu“e”, it’” not about a numbe“” dame.

“It’” about intellidentl2 and anal2ticall22 deplo2ind ou““e”ou“ce” to the a“ea” to deal with the p“oblem” the communitie” a“e identif2ind o“we a“e identif2ind th“oudh anal2tical wo“k.

“whethe“it’” violence o““oad ”afet22 we a“e u”ind the tactic” that we need too u”e and u”e them wi”el2.”

M“Smith ”aid the new ”e“vice meantnt that the police’” “elation”hip with local autho“itie” wa” ”ubject to fa“d“eate“

a l“”c“utin2 than it had eve“been. “That’” “idht and that’” dood,” he ”aid.d. “I want the local autho“itie” to bee chappind m2 doo“”a2ind, ‘wh2 i” the“e violence in thi” a“ea? wh2 i” the“e acqi”itive c“ime in that a“ea?’ So I cann tell them that it’” on m2 “ada“and takee ”tep” to mitidate that.”

PiCvuues: Gevvy/ Fovoouess Duriee. new tdyside commd.dev Clief susevi.te.de.t eddie smitl sdys fedvs of d tdvgetm dvive. ‘stvdtlclyde model’ dve bdseless.