Force restructure puts focus on communities
Wednesday, 26th March 2009
A restructuring of Central Scotland Police will lead to more than 20 officers being deployed in the coming year into frontline roles to further enhance operational policing.
Community policing, protective services and investigative functions will all be bolstered as a result of the implementation of the restructuring process, which will see a reduction in the middle/senior management posts, the funding for which will be used to increase the number of constables.
On taking up post last year the Chief Constable Kevin Smith launched a series of reviews which examined in detail the rank structure within the force, roles and responsibilities of staff and the function of Crime Management Services. This work was undertaken in addition to ongoing civilianisation of certain police roles and workforce modernisation which also placed an emphasis on freeing up officers for frontline duties in communities.
The force will reduce the number of chief superintendent posts from three to two and superintendents from seven to six. There will be a reduction of chief inspector posts from 17 to 12 and the number of inspectors posts will reduce from 50 to 43 across the organisation.
As part of a wider restructuring of the inspector rank three additional community inspectors posts, which will be crucial to driving forward local community policing, will be created.
Further enhancements will take place within Crime Management Services and a review of the Community Planning Strategy Unit is also being undertaken.
The Chief Constable, who presented the Central Scotland Joint Police Board, with a report on his plans, said: "This detailed and complex work is taking place with one aim - to further enhance the policing in the communities in Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling council areas.
"That means putting additional officers into community policing teams, which are tackling issues and local priorities head-on, or into units which fall within CID functions such as the management of sex offenders and tackling drugs and organised crime."
As part of the commitment to frontline policing, all officers on external secondment or in a back office role will be required to carry out a set number of designated duties per year in support of front line functions.
This has a dual purpose of bolstering resources at busy periods or for major events and provides an opportunity for officers to refresh their skills in an operational environment.
The process of restructuring will continue to take place over the coming weeks and months as officers retire from service or move elsewhere to take up posts. A small dedicated team has been drawn together to help implement the changes.
A review of flexible working arrangements for police officers and police staff is also currently underway.
The Chief Constable added: "We are ensuring that Central Scotland Police is as fit for purpose as possible to meet the challenges and demands of modern policing - both at a very local level and in terms of some of the wider issues which impact on us."
