Police Scotland
| Police Scotland Police Service of Scotland Seirbheis Phoilis na h-Alba |
|
 |
|
| Interim logo | |
| Motto | Semper Vigilo |
| Always Vigilant | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1 April 2013 |
| Preceding agency | Central Scotland Police Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary |
| Annual budget | £1.2 Billion GBP (2013-14) |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency (Operations jurisdiction) |
Scotland |
 |
|
| Map of police area | |
| Size | 78,772 km2 |
| Population | 5,295,000 (2011) |
| Legal jurisdiction | Scotland |
| Primary governing body | Scottish Government |
| Secondary governing body | Scottish Police Authority |
| Constituting instrument | Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Overviewed by | Scottish Police Authority |
| Headquarters | Tulliallan Castle |
| Police Officers | 17,436 (and 1,404 special constables) |
| Police Staffs | 6,168 |
| Minister responsible | Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice |
| Agency executive | Stephen House, Chief Constable |
| Website | |
| http://www.scotland.police.uk | |
Police Scotland is the national police force of Scotland. It was formed on 1 April 2013 through the merger of eight territorial police forces and the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency.[1]
The full legal name of the organisation, as described in the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012, is the Police Service of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Seirbheis Phoilis na h-Alba).[2][3]
Creation
After a consultation,[4] the Scottish Government confirmed on 8 September 2011 that a single police service would be created in Scotland,[5] replacing:
- Central Scotland Police
- Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary
- Fife Constabulary
- Grampian Police
- Lothian and Borders Police
- Northern Constabulary
- Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA)
- Strathclyde Police
- Tayside Police
After a further consultation[6] on the detailed operation of the police service, the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill was published on 17 January 2012.[7] After scrutiny and debate by the Scottish Parliament, the legislation was approved on 27 June 2012.[8] The Bill duly received Royal Assent as the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012.
The Scottish Government said[8] reform will safeguard frontline policing in communities by creating designated local senior officers for every council area with a statutory duty to work with councils to shape local services.
Establishing a single service aims to ensure more equal access to national and specialist services and expertise such as major investigation teams and firearms teams, whenever and wherever they are needed.
Key provisions of the legislation include:
- Formal opportunities for the Scottish Parliament to scrutinise the service;
- New roles for councils to shape and scrutinise local delivery of policing;
- A designated local policing commander and local senior fire officer for each local authority area; and
- Clear responsibilities for the Chief Constable and, to ensure continued separation from Ministers, a new Scottish Police Authority with 11 to 15 members and a clear and strong remit to effectively hold the Chief Constable to account.
In September 2012 Chief Constable Stephen House of Strathclyde Police was announced as the future first Chief Constable of Police Scotland. He was sworn into the post on 1 October 2012.[9][10]
Members of the Scottish Police Authority were to be appointed in October 2012.[11] Its first chair, Vic Emery, was appointed in August 2012.[12]
Executive Team[13][14][15]
- Chief Constable
- Stephen House
- Deputy Chief Constable (Designated Deputy)
- Neil Richardson
- Deputy Chief Constable (Territorial Policing)
- Rose Fitzpatrick
- Deputy Chief Constable (Crime and Operational Support)
- Iain Livingstone
- Deputy Chief Constable (Commonwealth Games and Major Events)
- Steve Allen
- Assistant Chief Constable (Local Policing - East)
- Mike McCormick
- Assistant Chief Constable (Local Policing - West)
- Wayne Mawson
- Assistant Chief Constable (Local Policing - North)
- Derek Penman
- Assistant Chief Constable (Serious Crime and Public Protection)
- Malcolm Graham
- Assistant Chief Constable (Crime, Serious Organised Crime, and Counter Terrorism)
- Ruaraidh Nicolson
- Assistant Chief Constable (Operational Support)
- Bernie Higgins
All will be based at the Interim National Strategic Command Base (NSCB) at Tulliallan Castle in Fife.[16]
The Assistant Chief Constables' earnings will depend on their previous experience and will fall between £90,726 and £105,849 a year.[17]
Ranks
- Chief Constable
- Deputy Chief Constable
- Assistant Chief Constable
- Chief Superintendent
- Superintendent
- Chief Inspector
- Inspector
- Sergeant
- Police Constable (Regular and Special)
Local Policing Areas and Commanders
An individual policing plan has been drawn up for each of Scotland's 353 local council wards. In addition, each of the fourteen divisional commanders are "people who came up through the ranks in that part of the country".[18] The divisional commanders are as follows:[19]
East
- Edinburgh
- Chief Superintendent Mark Williams
- Fife
- Chief Superintendent Garry McEwan
- Forth Valley
- Chief Superintendent David Flynn
- Lothians & Scottish Borders
- Chief Superintendent Jeanette McDiarmid
West
- Argyll & West Dunbartonshire
- Chief Superintendent Russell Dunn
- Ayrshire
- Chief Superintendent John Thomson
- Dumfries & Galloway
- Chief Superintendent Kate Thomson
- Greater Glasgow
- Chief Superintendent Andy Bates
- Lanarkshire
- Chief Superintendent Nelson Telfer
- Renfrewshire & Inverclyde
- Chief Superintendent Alan Spiers
North
- Aberdeen City
- Chief Superintendent Adrian Watson
- Aberdeenshire & Moray
- Chief Superintendent Mark McLaren
- Highlands & Islands
- Chief Superintendent Julian Innes
- Tayside
- Chief Superintendent Hamish Macpherson
Impact
As well as superseding the eight former regional forces and the SCDEA, Police Scotland also incorporated the Scottish Police Services Authority - which included the Scottish Police College. The service is held to account by the new Scottish Police Authority.[20]
Police Scotland does not include the British Transport Police, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary or the Ministry of Defence Police, none of which is under the control or oversight of the Scottish Government.
A national non-emergency phone number (101) was launched on 21 February 2013. When a caller dials 101, the system will determine the caller’s location and connect them to a call handler in the police service centre for their area.[21][22]
Controversy
Infighting
Even before coming into force, it was widely reported that the new Chief Constable, Stephen House, and the Scottish Police Authority were in disagreement over the control of backroom staff.[23]
Gaelic
Criticism has also been levied at Police Scotland due to its decision to exclude Scottish Gaelic from its corporate logo, despite its specific and intentional inclusion in the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012, following an amendment by John Finnie MSP at Stage 2 of its committee examination in the Scottish Parliament.[24] In a Webchat with Officers on the Police Scotland Intranet site, Chief Constable House confirmed there were no plans for dual language wording on uniform and vehicles; however he did say that he would probably have no objection if the Local Policing Commander in the Highlands wished to use two languages on local police vehicles.
Force Logo and the Court of the Lord Lyon
In February 2013 it came to light that the previously announced logo for Police Scotland could not be used as the Force had failed to seek approval from the Court of the Lord Lyon.[25]
An application for approval has been submitted. However, it was not approved in time for the 1 April 2013 creation of Police Scotland and remains unapproved. According to the Police Scotland Reform Intranet Site, Police Scotland intend to use the "Semper Vigilo" logo used by many of the previous forces. An application for its use by Police Scotland must also be made to the Court of the Lord Lyon. This remains pending.
References
- ^ "Police Scotland: Name of new single police service unveiled". 30 October 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
- ^ "Creation of national police and fire services given royal seal of approval". News.stv.tv. 2012-08-08. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
- ^ "New police and fire headquarters". 21 February 2012.
- ^ "Keeping Scotland Safe and Strong: A Consultation on Reforming Police and Fire and Rescue Services in Scotland". 15 September 2011.
- ^ "Single police and fire services". 8 September 2011.
- ^ "Keeping Scotland Safe and Strong: A Consultation on Reforming Police and Fire and Rescue Services in Scotland - Research Findings". 16 December 2011.
- ^ "Police and Fire Reform Bill". 17 January 2012.
- ^ a b "Police and fire reform passed". 27 June 2012.
- ^ "New police chief discussing jobs". Stirling Observer. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
- ^ "Stephen House starts first day as Scotland's single police force chief". STV News. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
- ^ "Key police and fire posts advertised". 6 July 2012.
- ^ "First Scots Police Authority Chair Announced | UK Police News". Police Oracle. 2012-09-04. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
- ^ "BBC News - Police Scotland: New service chiefs named". BBC. 2012-12-24. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
- ^ Scottish Government (2013-01-31). "Police Reform". Scottish Government. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
- ^ Jim Smith (2012-11-26). "Police Scotland's first four Deputy Chief Constables appointed | Scotland | News | STV". STV News. STV. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
- ^ "DIRECTION - Latest News About The Creation Of The Police Service of Scotland". Scottish Government. 2012-08. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-21820882
- ^ "Scots police merger 'sets example' to south of border". BBC. 2013-03-31. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
- ^ "BBC News - Fourteen local commanders for new Police Scotland". BBC. 2013-01-22. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
- ^ Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012
- ^ "Strathclyde Police – Launch of New National Non-Emergency Number". 2013-02-21. Retrieved 2013-02-21.
- ^ "STV News - Non-emergency 101 hotline launched for calls to police in Scotland". 2013-02-21. Retrieved 2013-02-21.
- ^ Magnus Linklater Published at 12:01AM, November 17, 2012 (2012-11-17). "No turf war in Scotland, insists Stephen House, new Chief Constable". The Times. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
- ^ "Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill - 2nd Marshalled List of Amendments for Stage 2" (pdf).
- ^ http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/new-logo-for-single-police-service-is-scrapped.20304382
External links
- Police Scotland
- Photograph of the proposed Police Scotland logo (since discarded)
- Consultation document: Keeping Scotland Safe and Strong: A Consultation on Reforming Police and Fire and Rescue Services in Scotland
- Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill
- Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland
