If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. REPORT of The Chief Constable to the Merseyside Police Committee for the year 1976 .".~,,.,~.:"'J,<. "=,~",,,,,,,,,,,,"".cl;~'!;!T ~~ ';'.' "', "':,:' l _-,1,. ' " .... ;,.,.,;~': -.~, !L t~: l~ ;,~:: t,;;.""";::;""!:";;';:"~~:iiit0-_""=,=;:;=~,,,,",~"'"''''''*,@I\l!!'''·-lclt\,,,",;l. }~ , ? REPORT of The Chief Constable to the Merseyside Police Committee for the year 1976. / NCJRS JUL 111971' CHIEF CONS'r.A.:BLE'S OFFICE, LIVERPOOL MAy, 1977. To: THE CHAIRMAN AND MElIffiERS OF THE POLICE COMJ.IITTTEE OF THE 1Y.rnRSEYSIDE COUNTY COUNOIL. l\fr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the honour to present to you my report on the work of the Merseyside Police for the year ended the 31st December, 1976. I have the honour to be, Your Obedient Servant, Chief Constable. CONTENTS CHAPTER 1-INTRODUCTION PAGE Manpower 7 Management Services 8 Computerised Command and Control System 9 Appreciation 9 CHAPTER 2-GENERAL SURVEY Royal Visits 10 Appointment of Senior Officers 10 Transfer of Senior Officers 10 Retirement of Senior Officers ... 10 Annual Inspection of the Force 11 Force Command Structure 11 Policing ... 11 Force Manual of General Instructions 13 Police Officer's Note Books 13 Integration ofvVomen Police ... 13 Presentation Ceremonies 13 Rent Allowance ... 14 CHAPTER 3-MANPOWER Establishment ... 15 Secondments 15 Appointments and Re-appointments to the Force ... 17 r~emovals from the Force 17 Pensioned on the Grounds of ill-Health 17 Premature Wastage 17 Recruiting 18 Civilian Establishment ... 20 " CHAPTER 4-PERSONNEL AND TRAINING Police Personnel Department ... 22 Staff Appraisal ... 22 Promotion Examinations . ~.... 22 Promotions 23 Police College ... 24 PAGE Attachment to University for Whole-Time Study 24 Awards of Degrees 25 Letters of Appreciation 25 Honours and Awards ... 25 Discipline 27 Complaints Against Police 27 Sickness .. 28 Obituary .. 29 Welfare .. 29 Sport and Recreation 29 Training- Probational Training 31 Refresher Training 31 Recently Promoted Sergeants' Courses 31 Inspectors' Courses 31 Inspectors' Pre-College Training ... 32 Detective Training 32 Drugs Courses 32 C.LD. Aides 32 Promotion Study 32 Police Support Units 32 Pre-Retirement Courses 33 Special Constabulary 33 First Aid 'Training ... 33 First Aid Competitions 33 Life Saving ... 33 Driver Training 34 Traffic Patrol Officers' Courses 34 Firearms Training ... 34 Other Training Matters ... 35 Youth and Community Department 35 Field Training 35 Induction Course for Civilian Employees 35 Details of Courses ... 36 CHAPTER 5-SPECIAUSED DEPARTMENTS Youth and Community Branch 38 Mounted Department ... 39 Dog Section 39 Firearms Department ... 40 Prosecutions Department 41 Crown Court Department 42 Main Bridewell, Liverpool 42 Liverpool Magistrates' Courts Section 43 H.M. Coroner's Department 43 Aliens Department 43 Central Property Office 44 Home Defence Department 44 Merseyside Police Band 45 CHAPTER 6-CRIME PAGE Seriolis Crime Squad 46 Caseload ... 47 Indictable Offences Recorded and Detected 47 Murder, Manslaughter '" 48 Attempted Murder, Wounding, etc. 48 Sexual Offences '" 49 Burglary... 49 Robbery... 50 Theft from 1fotor Vehicles and Theft and Unauthorised Taking of Motor Vehicles ... ... ... .,. .., ... '" 51 Other Offences of Theft and Handling 51 Fraud and Forgery 52 Commercial Branch 52 Criminal Damage (Vandalism) 52 Drugs 54 Other Offences '" 54 Value of Property Stolen 54 Firearms... 55 Assault on the Police ... 55 Persons proceeded against and cautioned for indictable offences... 56 Merseyside Criminal Records Office . 57 Fingerprint Bureau 57 Photographic Section ... 57 Home Office Forensic Science Laboratory 57 Crime Prevention Department 58 CHAPTER 7-TRAFFIC AND COMMUNICATIONS Traffic Department 60 Vehicle Fleet 61 Motorway Patrols 62 VASOAR 62 Traffic Enquiry Section 63 Specia.l Car Section ... 63 Fixed Penalty Procedure 63 Traffic Accidents 64 Drink and Driving 67 Accident Prevention Lectures ... 68 Road Safety Courses .,. 68 Highway Engineering and Traffic Management 68 Communications 70 Oontrol Room 70 Telephones ... 71 Tele-printers 71 Radio 71 Personal Radio Schemes .. , 72 Police National Computer 72 Training 73 Special Events 73 CHAPTER 8-0THER POLICE DUTIES PAGE Decks 75 Operational Support Division ... 75 Public Order 76 Licensing .Acts and Clubs 77 Warrants and Summonses 77 Batting and Gaming 78 Prostitution 79 .Attendance Centres 79 House to House Collections 80 Pedlars' Certificates 80 CHAPTER 9-SUPPORT FUNCTIONS Buildings 81 Closures of Police Stations 82 Changes in Accommodation 83 Repairs and Maintenance 83 Housing ... 83 Organisation and Planning Department 83 Central Statistical Unit 84 Catering ... 85 Drawing Office ... 85 CHAPTER IO-AUXILIARY FORMATIONS Cadet Corps 86 Special Constabulary Corps 87 Traffic Wardens ... 8D School Crossing Patrols 89 First Police Reserve 89 Appendix 90 Statistical Tables 91 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Crime and violent anti-social behaviour still predominated police activity in 1976 in Merseyside despite the marked successes which showed some containment when setting the statistics against the national trend (a 2% increase compared with 1l.1 % in 1975). It is encouraging to note that there was a 3.9% increase in detection, achieved in a year in which 19 murders were committed; an investigation commitment which always added strain upon constrained resources, particularly in the area of manpower and mobility. In consequence, there was an urgent and con­ tinuing need to survey and redeploy those resources available to meet contingent problems. This was my first year in office as Chief Constable, following upon a year as Deputy Chief Constable and newcomer to Merseyside, a year, which might be related to one of valuable orientation for me in a Force which was seeking an identity following upon amalgamation. Therefore, it was convenient from every viewpoint, to research the constitution and structure of the force in the light of recent operational experiences and the amalgam of police experience of yesteryear. This I continue to do with various projects I will refer to below. In the event I am confident in reporting that all ranks of the Mersey­ side Police strive with continuous success, to establish that identity which makes it a police force for the wrong-doer to respect and reckon with, and for the people of Merseyside to be proud of. r have referred to the fact that I am a relative newcomer to Merseyside so I feel that this introduction would be incomplete if I did not refer to the unswerving assistance and loyalty I received continuously from ~fr. R. S. Lancaster, Q.P.M., Assistant Chief Constable (Administration) but latterly as Acting Deputy Chief Constable; but perhaps more importantly the friendship and help by his wife, Mrs. Joyce Lancaster, which reflected an extension of her concern for the welfare of the families of the Service over the years, a contribution freely given by most police officers' wives, too often accepted as the expected and rarely recognised in official records such as this. 1\'11' Lancaster has retired after a long and distinguished police career marked by considerable contribution to the reputation and effi.ciency of the Service and to the wellbeing of the community. He is to be com­ mended for his ready application to overcome the transitional problems surrounding the upheavals in the command structure in a relatively newly amalgamated force; his acceptance of additional responsibilities and attendant problems during the absence of the newly appointed Deputy Chief Constable, IVTr. D. Owen, who transferred from Lincolnshire, but was attending the Imperial Defence Collp- for the greater part of the year under review. ~, Manpower One of my first priorities on being appointed and assuming command of this Force was to prepare a report for the consideration of the Com- 7 mittee outlining the inadequacies of the establishment and to submit proposals for increases "which were thought to be attainable. It will be recalled that in 1974 research was t,\.J.en undertaken to determine the ideal establishment for the force, based on an approved formulae, which pro­ jected a total figure of 5,600. However, at the time of amalgamation the establishment was calculated by taking the combined strength of the three constituent forces and adding to it a figure of 200, which represented the then forseeable recruitment. This criteria resulted in an establishment of 4,317, but tltis was increased in JllIay 1975 by 25 officers, to bring the establishment to its current figure of 4,342. Nearly three years of experi­ ence since amalgamation showed the strain of such a threadbare establish­ ment and produced .many shortcomings in effective policing considered necessary in such a metropolitan conurbation as JllIerseyside and demanded the reappraisal I have referred to earlier, to redress the inherited im­ balances and misconceptions imposed upon amalgamation. In the event, my proposition, although approved by the Police Committee, was baulked for a variety of reasons, rehearsed in a variety of County Council com­ mittees, but whatever the perversity the most constraining was one of economics. In consequence, I have had meaningful discussions within the County Executive, also with Home Office representabives and H.M. Inspectorate, particularly in the light of various government circulars which relate to national economic stringencies. Therefore it is hoped that a redefined establishment increase will be acceptable and