The residents of Aberdeen benefit from effective local policing which has reduced their likelihood of being a victim of crime.
An experienced and empowered local police commander and his team work well with their committed partners for the good of their communities, highlights a report published today (Thursday, May 14).
The HMICS report, Inspection of Aberdeen City Division, is the latest in the rolling programme under which all 14 local policing divisions of Police Scotland will be inspected to assess their state, effectiveness and efficiency. These inspections provide a consistent means of assessing the quality of local policing across Scotland and highlight examples of best practice.
Providing updates to complainers, promoting the local policing plan and giving current data to the local scrutiny committee have all been identified as areas for improvement.
The inspection, which was carried out in January, found partnership working is a key part of the division’s approach to policing its communities and it shares many premises, such as libraries, schools and health centres with Aberdeen City Council and NHS Grampian.
HM Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, Derek Penman said: “People in Aberdeen
are less likely to be the victim of a crime than in previous years, and where they are a victim of crime, those responsible are more likely to be identified and prosecuted than previously.
“We also found morale among officers to be good. Senior officers are approachable, staff feel valued, good work is recognised and there is good communication within the division.
“Aberdeen City is the smallest division in Scotland in geographic terms and the second smallest in terms of resourcing. The local commander employs a policing model where there is no distinction between ‘response’ and ‘community’ officers with officers performing a dual role. This is well-suited to Aberdeen and meets local needs.
“A major concern for the division has been its ability to recruit and retain staff. It has suffered a proportionately greater loss of officers than any other division in Scotland with several experienced officers leaving to join the oil and gas sector. The perception of well-paid jobs in that industry has presented challenges in terms of local recruitment.”
The report contains a total of four recommendations for Police Scotland. They relate to providing up to date data to scrutiny committees, giving partners’ analysts access to information management systems, reviewing guidance on body worn cameras and ensuring that objectives in local policing plans are measured and timeously taken to scrutiny committees.
The force will be asked to create an action plan to address HMICS’ recommendations and ensure good practice is shared across Scotland to promote continuous improvement.
During its inspections of each local policing division, HMICS will also inspect custody facilities to assess the treatment of and conditions for those detained. Aberdeen City Division is the first where this has been undertaken and a separate report of the custody centre at Kittybrewster in Aberdeen is published alongside this report.
The next in the HMICS series of Local Policing + Inspections, of Edinburgh Division, will be published in September.
