COPS TO BE BASED IN CAFES
On anniversary of creation of single force, a radical new vision from chief
TRADITIONAL police offices could be closed under radical plans that would see officers set up ‘virtual stations’ instead – in cafes, supermarkets, libraries and community centres.
The aim is to use modern technology to allow officers to keep up to date with call-outs and crime reports – while also being available to speak to the public.
Police Scotland bosses believe the move would modernise policing and make officers visible and accessible. They also say it would save money by allowing many old and costly buildings to be sold.
But the move – which would see the closure of some stations – is certain to concern critics who favour the traditional model.
Today marks five years since eight regional forces were merged to create Police Scotland.
In an exclusive interview, Acting Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said the plans were already being discussed at board level and that detailed proposals were starting to be drawn up.
Mr Livingstone, 51, took charge of Police Scotland when former Chief Constable Phil Gormley went on leave following bullying allegations. He remains in temporary charge now that Mr Gormley has resigned.
The former head of CID at Lothian and Borders said: ‘We no longer need to have the majority of officers sitting in police stations hard-wired into a desktop computer. With mobile devices, they can be in a vehicle, moving around their communities, setting up for a while in a community centre, library, cafe, wherever people gather.
‘They would be able to access crime reports or write reports, then move on to the next location. One of the benefits would be greater visibility to the public; the public would feel the police was more accessible to them.
‘We will always need buildings, but policing is changing rapidly. We no longer need all the old ones we still pay to maintain. Some could be sold and the money reinvested to make Police Scotland more mobile and more effective, better serving the needs of the public.’
There have been discussions about Police Scotland taking up a small fixed space in places such as community centres, but its decision-makers are equally happy with the notion of officers just sitting in a public space.
Mr Livingstone said: ‘It should be completely flexible. Ideally, we won’t need a dedicated space. The idea is that officers should just be out where
‘Policing reflects society and the people we serve’
they’re needed by the community. So in urban places, it’s likely to be in buildings the public use. In rural areas, they might be asked to park at the side of a road or in the car park of places like the visitor centre at Glencoe. They just need to be visible and accessible.’
He pointed out that, in looking to the future, there were elements that would reflect the past, saying: ‘People can be quite nostalgic about the old police boxes because there was a feeling your local officers were visible and you could get to know them. As everimproving IT enables us to become more mobile and less tied to an office base, we will be reverting to that model, in a way that fits the modern world.
‘Policing reflects society and mirrors the evolution of the life of the people we serve. The police has to operate the way society operates, the way the public operates.’
Mr Livingstone said full realisation of the new model of policing would likely have to await the completion of Police Scotland’s 2026 strategy for an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) model for the entire country.
There will be a greater emphasis long before then on mobile officers, but there is an awareness the ICT system needs to be in place first.
Mr Livingstone said: ‘You might not buy the flat-screen TV before you’ve wired the house. Ultimately, we want all our systems and devices to be compatible and linked – and that will come.
‘But in the meantime we need a modern force properly serving the community. That shift towards greater mobility is already under way.’