The aim of this Thematic Review was to follow-up on the progress made against recommendations from previous HMICS CONTEST inspections AND to assess how Police Scotland is currently prepared to respond to and recover from a terrorist incident.
Given the creation of Police Scotland, the importance of CONTEST and the proximity to the Commonwealth Games 2014, HMICS considered that this thematic review of CONTEST Prepare was appropriate. Our fieldwork took place during September and October 2013 which was only six months after the creation of Police Scotland and our findings should be considered within the context of this major reform. The review nonetheless provided a timely opportunity to check progress against our previous HMICS reports and objectively assess the effectiveness of the new national and local policing structures needed to deliver CONTEST.
Number | Recommendation |
|---|---|
1 | We recommend that the Police Scotland CONTEST Board seek assurance from each of the 14 local policing divisions that robust arrangements are in place to deliver outcome-based activities in support of CONTEST. |
2 | We recommend that Police Scotland provide further guidance to divisional counterterrorism leads on the type and degree of information that could be shared for a common purpose with partners in support of CONTEST. |
3 | We recommend that a review is initiated of the benefits or otherwise of having Police Scotland chair the CONTEST Multi-Agency Strategic Board, given that CONTEST should not be regarded as the sole responsibility of policing and requires multi-agency commitment. |
4 | We recommend that Police Scotland and Forensic Services, Scottish Police Authority, finalise the draft Scottish Counter Terrorism Forensic Strategy and test arrangements in advance of the Commonwealth Games 2014. |
5 | We recommend that Police Scotland in conjunction with Forensic Services, Scottish Police Authority, undertake joint strategic and scenario planning to identify operational risks and future gaps in service provision. The outcome will highlight the requirements of Police Scotland relating to forensic services and the future capacity and capability needs of Forensic Services. |
6 | We recommend that in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, an options appraisal be undertaken on the benefits of data integration of the three independent specialist resource data systems. |
7 | We recommend that the approach undertaken by the Counter Terrorism Organisational Learning and Development Group to capture both organisational and individual learning and development be considered across other areas of business assessed as high risk by Police Scotland. |
8 | We recommend that Police Scotland and local partners work together and consider a localised response to CONTEST through local policing plans (LPP) and single outcome agreements (SOA). |