GPMS Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Agenda Item Environmental and Protective Services Committee – 5 Report February 2013 No

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Local Police Area Structure

Report by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Police Area – Area Commander – Chief Inspector Gordon Macleod

Summary

The purpose of this report is to inform members of the new policing structure in relation to the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar area.

1. Background

In September 2011 the decision to amalgamate the 8 Scottish Forces and 2 policing agencies of SCDEA and SPSA, was announced by the Scottish Government. The date of commencement for the new organisation, The Police Service of was intimated as 1st April 2013.

Since this announcement much work has taken place nationally to design the new organisation. This work has been based upon the details contained within the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act (Royal Assent given on 8th August 2012). These plans were to align local police areas and local police commanders with the current 32 local authority areas, which for Northern Constabulary are the 4 areas which comprise of: , , and Western Isles.

In order to ensure Northern Constabulary was able to deliver effective policing services within the new structures we recognised that we needed to reorganise our existing resources in preparation for the national change. This reorganisation has prepared us for the national design.

Territorial Policing

The previous 3 divisional model no longer fitted the emerging national model and we needed to adapt ourselves to manage operations around the four local authority areas. We have therefore seen a move from the structure of:

 North Division: Shetland, Orkney, and

 Central Division: Western Isles, , Skye & , Ross & Cromarty

 East Division: , , Strathspey & Nairn

GPMS Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED GPMS Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

To a structure aligned to:

 Highlands: Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross; Ross & Cromarty; Lochaber, Skye & Lochalsh; Inverness and Badenoch, Strathspey & Nairn.

 Islands (Area Commands): Shetland, Orkney, Western Isles

As can be seen, the Area Commands remain the same as previously defined with no change to any borders. The Area Commands on the whole, will retain their current staff and retain responsibility for policing the area through their existing resources and command teams. The major change is at the level above Area Command which has seen a substantial move from the divisional organisation. Territorially, rather than there being 3 divisions, Northern Constabulary will focus our operational resources around 2 distinct territorial areas: Highland and Islands. These 2 newly aligned territorial areas are each commanded by a Superintendent with a Chief Superintendent in overall command of the territorial area which currently makes up Northern Constabulary.

Additionally, a Superintendent with responsibility for Partnerships and Protective Services supports the command team to deliver all required operational services throughout the area. This provides operational resilience at Superintendent Tactical Command level and also provides for effective delivery of operational support services at a local level.

The newly designed role for Superintendent Partnerships & Protective Services will incorporate a number of functions currently provided by Northern Constabulary on a force basis which within the new force will become nationally controlled. These identified functions are seen as critical to the effective local delivery of policing services to the communities in the north and will require a local dimension which will require local command and ownership. Such functions include: Public Protection, NIM & Crime Management co- ordination, Business Management; Events Planning and Resource Management.

Within this area of business there is a requirement to develop new capability to provide support for emerging demands which will be generated by the fledgling four local authority area Pathfinder arrangements for Local Scrutiny and Engagement. This includes: preparation of Policing Plans; corporate support for all 4 Pathfinder committees; statistical information for all 4 Pathfinder committees.

GPMS Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED GPMS Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Ch Supt Julian Innes Local Police Commander

Islands Superintendent Highland Partnerships & John Chisholm Superintendent Protective Steve Mackay Services Superintendent Gus Macpherson

Shetland C,S & E R Local Crime Mngt Ch Insp Angus T/Ch Insp Garry Det Ch Insp Mark Macinnes Cameron Mackay

Orkney R & C Public Protection Unit Ch Insp Les Donaldson Ch Insp Ross Mackillop Ch Insp Pamela Ross

Western Isles Inverness Business Management Ch Insp Gordon Macleod Ch Insp Graeme Unit Murdoch

B, S & N Events / Resource Ch Insp Mhairi Grant Management Unit

L, S& L Partnerships & T/Ch Insp Derek Performance Paterson

GPMS Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED GPMS Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Specialist & Support Services

In addition to preparing for the new territorial structure there was also need to take cognisance of the existing support services and ensure we are still able to provide effective assistance and support across the Northern Constabulary area with our existing resources during the period of transition where some of these functions will transfer to national command.

This has required revision of the current Head of Support Services role to maintain the existing portfolio with exceptions of Professional Standards and Conduct Unit reporting directly to the Deputy , and Crime Services moving from the current Head of Operations to Chief Superintendent, Head of Specialist and Support Services.

Chief Superintendent Ralph Noble

Supt Crime Support Supt Corporate Supt Ops Support Corporate Kenny Anderson Services John McDonald Communications John Darcy Ruth Cleland

Implementation

The initial change for Chief Superintendents was carried out on the 6th August 2012. This change involved role changes for the current incumbents with the Head of Specialist and Support Services retaining control over Crime Services.

The change from the 3 Divisions to 4 Local Policing Areas and subsequent Command changes within Territorial Policing took place on 17th September 2012.

Gordon Macleod Chief Inspector Area Commander

GPMS Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED GPMS Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Recommendation

The Comhairle is asked to note the new structure. .

Signature:

Designation:

Date:

Background Papers:

GPMS Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED