Local Police Plan 2020-23 the Scottish Borders; Police Scotland
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OFFICIAL Local Police Plan 2020 - 23 Our commitment to the safety and wellbeing of the people and communities of the Lothians and Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Planning framework The Chief Constable has responsibility for the policing of Scotland OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Contents Page Foreword 3 The Scottish Borders Context 4 How we Identified the Police Plan Priorities 6 Policing on a Page: The Lothians & Scottish Borders 8 Priority: Protecting the Most Vulnerable People 9 Priority: Reducing Violence & Anti-Social Behaviour 10 Priority: Reducing Acquisitive Crime 11 Priority: Improving Road Safety 12 Priority: Tackling Serious & Organised Crime 13 Performance and Accountability 14 Equality, Diversity and Ethics 15 Local Contact Details 16 OFFICIAL Page | 2 OFFICIAL In pursuit of this aim, the shared outcomes documented within the Scottish Borders Community Plan (Local Outcome Foreword Improvement Plan - LOIP), as per the requirement under the terms of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, are As Divisional Commander, I am pleased to present the 2020 - reflected in this document and outline our commitment to a 2023 Local Police Plan for the Scottish Borders local authority collaborative approach with communities, partners and area of the Lothians & Scottish Borders Policing Division. stakeholders. The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 sets out the Police Scotland and by extension the policing team of the statutory framework for Police Scotland, with the mission of Lothians and Scottish Borders is committed to providing the policing being to improve the safety and well-being of persons, highest possible service to the Scottish Borders by ensuring local localities and communities in Scotland. The Act recognises that teams, supported by national resource, work to meet the locally policing alone cannot achieve this objective and places a identified priorities of our communities. This plan covers the responsibility on a collaborative approach with communities, period 2020 – 2023, however it remains a ‘live document’ and key planning partners and the wider voluntary sector to improve will be subject to review, ensuring the plan is updated to reflect safety and wellbeing. the changing needs of local communities. The office of the Chief Constable has responsibility for the Chief Superintendent John McKenzie Divisional Commander policing of Scotland and the setting of national priorities for policing. These are based on our ongoing assessment of threat and risk, and our knowledge and experience of policing in Scotland. Through the lens of collaboration, the Local Police Plan aims to outline priorities shaped through engagement with individuals, communities, and partners across the Scottish Borders local authority area as well as taking cognisance of both national and local strategic analysis. This ensures that the divisional policing team work collectively to address current and emerging trends with the aim to reduce crime through a preventative and collaborative model of policing. Page | 3 OFFICIAL OFFICIAL local policing and are supported by School Link Officers and The Scottish Borders Context Youth Community Officers who promote early, effective intervention and prevention within local schools and with The Lothians & Scottish partner agencies. A Community Planning Police Officer Borders Division serves Your Division supports the Scottish Borders Community Planning Partnership. around 462,080 people over 2,393 square miles, 2,393mi² In addition there are currently two Community Action Teams stretching from 4 Local Authorities (CAT) funded by the Scottish Borders Council. These teams Blackridge in West 462,080 Residents identify and target local issues around anti-social behaviour, Lothian to Newcastleton drug supply and wider youth disorder. in the Scottish Borders, as 904 Police Officers well as many other 69 Police Staff The face of policing in Scotland will respond to the new towns and villages, 35 Special Constables challenges brought about by changing demographics. An located across a diverse example of this challenge is illustrated through the growth of mix of urban and rural landscapes. cyber enabled crime across Scotland including within the Scottish Borders, and the disproportionate impact on vulnerable The Scottish Borders area is 1,827 square miles and is the 4th most persons. rural area in Scotland with 30% of the population living in settlements of below 500 people. It is also recognised that the mission of policing has evolved, resulting in a far wider range of activities undertaken by The Scottish Borders area is 1,827 square miles and 4th, out of members of the divisional policing team. This includes the the 32 Scottish local authorities, in terms of rural land mass. In continual growth of incidents relating to missing persons, mental 2019 the estimated population of the Scottish Borders was health and concerns associated with vulnerability. 115,270, placing it 18th out of the 32 Scottish local authorities. In addition 30% of the population live in settlements of below 500 With finite resource, which we continually align to the evolving people. The two largest towns of Galashiels and Hawick each needs and expectations of our communities, we must work have a population of circa 14,000. Persons aged 60 and over creatively with partners in the spirit engendered by the make up 30.2 per cent of Scottish Borders. Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 to ensure our communities across the Scottish Borders receive the service they Local police resources are committed to serving the Scottish need and deserve. Borders. Response and community policing are at the heart of OFFICIAL Page | 4 OFFICIAL Protecting vulnerable people: Supporting people considered vulnerable and working with partners to reduce harm. How we identified the Local Tackling crime in the digital age: Building capacity and Police Plan priorities capability to address the threat from online and cyber related crime. The Lothians & Scottish Borders Policing Division aims to deliver Working with communities: Engaging with key on its purpose of: stakeholders, public and communities to understand needs, build resilience and deliver a collaborative ‘Working in partnership for the safety approach. and wellbeing of communities in the Support for operational policing: Delivering change that enables our people to deliver an effective and Lothians & Scottish Borders’ sustainable service. In pursuit of our purpose, the voice of communities, elected representatives, key planning partners and wider voluntary As well as the on-line survey, face-to-face engagement was sector is essential to understand the policing needs of the undertaken during our regular cycles of community meetings, Scottish Borders. including interaction with community councils, elected members, local businesses, local schools, local authorities, During November and December 2019, a nationwide public statutory and third sector partners. The aim was to ensure a survey on the policing issues concerning people, businesses and wide-ranging and diverse demographic had the opportunity to other organisations in local communities was undertaken. engage and represent the voice of the local community. Results were broken down to local authority areas, which has allowed local communities to influence local policing priorities. The Lothians & Scottish Borders received the largest number of These priorities sit within the framework set by Police Scotland’s public responses of any policing division in Scotland which National Policing Priorities, namely: evidences the strong relationship we have with our communities and the success of the engagement process. OFFICIAL Page | 5 OFFICIAL In addition to the public consultation, which identified the Although consistent priorities have been identified across the needs and priorities of communities across the Scottish Borders, four local authorities in the Lothians and Scottish Borders Division, further assessment and analysis has been considered to inform this does not automatically equate to the same policing this Local Police Plan. response and activity being adopted in the Scottish Borders. This included: Pages 9 to 13 will highlight both the divisional wide and Scottish Borders local activity planned in pursuance of each Local The Joint Strategy for Policing (2020), Policing for a safe, Policing Priority, whilst aligning them to the Scottish Government resilient and protected Scotland; Strategic Policing Priorities and Police Scotland’s Strategic Annual Police Plan; Outcomes. Lothians & Scottish Borders Strategic Assessment (2020/23); Local Outcome Improvement Plans; The content marked as ‘Divisional Activity’, shows the consistent Locality Improvement Plans. action taken across the Lothians and Scottish Borders division whilst the local Scottish Borders section demonstrates bespoke It is of note that the concerns raised by communities in the actions relevant to that area. This approach represents Scottish Borders, were similar in nature to those raised by localism, whilst promoting both internal and external discussion communities across East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian with regards to how different areas may be tackling similar resulting in a consistent set of priorities across the four local problems, thus allowing for the sharing of best practice and authority areas. The Local Police Plan for the Scottish Borders learning. has identified the following five key priorities: It is important to recognise