Scottish Government

5 Processes

Call Handling

5.1 In September 2004 the force introduced its Force Communications Centre ( FCC). The FCC manages all telephone and radio communications for the force. All published telephone numbers for the force are automatically re-directed to the FCC, at no additional cost to the caller. Initial results from the FCC are very encouraging: some 57% of calls are resolved at initial contact and public satisfaction with the way their calls are handled on initial contact has risen by 27 percentage points. The percentage of calls abandoned has fallen from 23% before the FCC was introduced, to 7.25% in 2005.

5.2 The staffing of the FCC has changed from a standard number of staff per shift to a model which matches resources to demand. Demand profiling is carried out on an ongoing basis using information from a variety of systems. The force has taken advantage of opportunities provided by the Voluntary Early Retirement scheme (see paragraph 3.24) to employ staff on part time and flexible contracts to cover periods of heaviest demand.

5.3 Suitably trained staff provide common standards of performance in terms of answering calls quickly, efficiently and consistently. Efficient access to force information systems has enhanced the ability of FCC staff to resolve calls at this first point of contact, negating the need for callers to be routinely transferred to another party.

5.4 The FCC forms part of Operational Services and is staffed by:

• 1 x Police Inspector ( FCC Manager);
• 1 x Business Analyst/Office Manager;
• 6 x Police Sergeants (Duty Officers);
• 18 Public Service Advisors (17 Full-Time equivalent posts);
• 18 Dispatchers (17 Full-Time equivalent posts);
• 6 x Police Constables (Police Advisors).

5.5 The force has centralised all responsibility for Airwave, 999 calls and non-emergency telephony within the FCC. A sergeant serves as Duty Officer, 24 hours a day. Within the facility the force has established three distinct roles. These are described in more detail in the following paragraphs.

5.6 Public Service Advisors ( PSAs) answer non-emergency calls and try to resolve caller queries at this first point of contact. They try to do this using the Frequently Asked Question database, IMAGE logs, intranet/Internet, resource information or any other information source they may have available. When a member of the public wants to speak to a named officer/member of staff a warm transfer (meaning that the operator listens to the call being transferred long enough to ensure that it is answered) is made, to either the staff member's office telephone or an officer's Airwave terminal. If the call cannot be transferred a message is taken and forwarded by e-mail. Calls that are identified as an emergency can be handled by the Public Service Advisor or transferred to a dispatcher. The details of other calls requiring a police response are recorded by the Public Service Advisor and passed to dispatch or to a Police Advisor.

5.7 Dispatchers answer 999 calls and those from other response services, dispatch resources to calls and provide support to those resources. When Public Service Advisors are not on duty or when call volumes are particularly high, dispatchers also answer non-emergency calls.

5.8 Police Advisors ( PAs) are police officers who provide information and advice to members of the public. They also deal with reports of minor crime, non-reportable road traffic accidents and intelligence reports, where there is no need to dispatch resources.

5.9 The force operates an Incident Contact Management Strategy ( ICM) that sets out four incident categories (immediate, routine, deferred and non-attendance). The FCC uses these categories to ensure a consistent and appropriate approach when dealing with calls. Nevertheless, the force retains an element of flexibility that allows resources to be dispatched to low level calls where the caller's needs outweigh a strict application of the ICM.

5.10 On receiving a call that necessitates police attendance, the Dispatcher will normally pass the call to the Duty Sergeant covering the area. The call is then allocated to that Sergeant on the IMAGE system. It will then be the Duty Sergeant's responsibility to make sure that the incident is attended. The Sergeant or the resource allocated the incident should then update the FCC with who is attending the incident. On a visit to the FCC, HMIC noted that a number of incidents can remain allocated to a Sergeant for a considerable period of time. HMIC is concerned that, in a busy period, a Duty Sergeant who is on patrol or involved in an incident may inadvertently forget to allocate a resource to an incident. This could potentially have very serious consequences; confusion over who is attending an incident has in the past in Scotland resulted in fatal injuries. Some other forces do have procedures in place to allocate resources effectively, as well as agreed processes for monitoring incidents to ensure that an attending resource has been allocated. The force should review this area and define its processes in this regard.

5.11 The FCC maintains a close relationship with both Divisions. It actively participates in the Tactical Tasking and Co-ordination Group process, in line with the principles of the National Intelligence Model.

5.12 The force has recognised that the resilience and efficiency of equipment and systems is a vital part of maintaining a high quality service to staff and local communities. Representation on working groups at a local and national level helps to provide the force with information on good practice and changing procedures. The force is represented on the National Call Handling Standards Working Group and is actively participating in the Audit Scotland inspection of call handling in the Scottish Police Service.

5.13 The force introduced Airwave at the same time as it did the FCC. Initially the telephony facility on the Airwave system was used only to transfer calls to officers on patrol in emergency situations. At the request of operational staff the force now allows any appropriate call to be transferred to officers. This facility means that officers often do not have to return to the office to take phone calls. Nor has this increased use had any adverse effects on the Airwave network.

5.14 Through its quality of service surveys the force is aware of some public dissatisfaction concerning the level of feedback they receive. This is in relation to incidents that the force has attended. To address this the force has run a pilot scheme, where officers can use status keys on their Airwave terminals to send an update to the IMAGE system. The officer can also mark the incident log with a call back. The FCC would then telephone the complainer and update them on the progress of the enquiry, gather any new information and update the incident log. The force is disappointed with the poor uptake of this facility amongst officers and is planning a re-launch with an appropriate marketing strategy. HMIC is interested in projects such as this, which have the potential to improve the service to the public, and will examine progress at the next review inspection.

Operational Policing

5.15 Operational policing in the force is driven by the aims set out in the Strategic Action Plan and the 'Community Promise'. To deliver this, the force uses the principles of the National Intelligence Model linked to a very strong and practical problem-solving ethos. The foundation for operational policing is the two territorial divisions; the Dumfries Division covering the east of the force area and the Galloway Division covering the west. These divisions supply the policing for all the communities within the force area. The policing provided is a mixture of response policing and community policing. The Force Executive does not dictate how policing should be delivered. Instead it allows local commanders to decide this on the basis of local needs, identified through consultation and analysis, and directed by the Tasking and Co-ordinating process.

5.16 Twenty-four hour response policing resources throughout the force use the 2,2,2 shift system or a close variation of it. An appropriate Workforce Agreement is in place to cover the deviation from the regulations. This shift pattern is popular with both the officers working it and with management. It is felt that it provides the best match of resources with demand, while 'opportunity days' are used for training or to police special initiatives. This response policing is supported by a network of Community Police Officers whose responsibilities fall within either geographical or thematic boundaries. Those with thematic responsibilities are responsible for anti-social behaviour, noise reduction or crime reduction. Service delivery is managed by local Area Commanders. These officers are normally Inspectors except for the town of Dumfries where, due to its size, the Area Commander is a Chief Inspector. Dumfries Division has four area commands: Dumfries, Annan, Lockerbie and Upper Nithsdale. Galloway Division has three Area Commands: Stranraer, Newton Stewart and the Stewartry. The Area Commanders maintain close links with their communities, elected representatives, locally-based groups and partner agencies.

5.17 Quality of Service is an important theme in operational policing within the force and every effort is made to address public concerns. The force has set itself challenging targets. In response to a public desire for more visible policing, the force uses whatever policing style is appropriate to the area being served. As a result, officers may perform mobile, cycle or foot patrols. The force strives to maximise the visibility of its officers, regularly supplementing this by deploying Special Constables to patrol with regular officers, in pairs or on their own. In 2005-06 the force set a target for Community officers to spend at least 66% of their time engaged in the community. Monthly snapshot activity analysis showed that this target was achieved, with 67.8% of Community Officers' time spent in this way. A further target was for other uniformed officers to be engaged in the community for 10% of their time. This was greatly exceeded, with these officers spending 61.8% of their time engaged in the community. Other targets in relation to quality of service include those concerning the speed at which the force attends calls. For 2005-06 again, the force set targets for police to attend 90% of identified emergency calls within ten minutes in urban areas and 20 minutes in rural areas. The percentages achieved were 78.3% and 82.8% respectively. In the previous year the respective figures were 79.9% and 84.3%.

5.18 As mentioned above the force has a strong problem-solving ethos, which was demonstrated on a number of occasions during the inspection. As might be expected the Area Commanders are responsible for co-ordinating a problem-solving response to policing issues arising in their areas. These responses will often involve partner agencies and can often be inventive. Examples include the council working to change street furniture, bushes and lighting. Nor was it unusual for the police to involve youth outreach workers in trying to understand the issues underlying youthful anti-social behaviour, and then to engage with partner agencies in attempts to modify behaviour. HMIC was pleased to see that this problem-solving ethos was prevalent at constable level, with officers able to give examples of how they had addressed underlying problems rather than just the visible manifestations of them.

Crime Recording

5.19 National performance information on crime levels and detection rates shows that in the majority of categories Dumfries and Galloway performs very strongly. The force enjoys low and falling levels of serious crime, 60% detection rate for crime groups 1-5 and works proactively to tackle problems such as drug crime.

5.20 As it does in all its Primary Inspections, HMIC conducted a thorough crime recording audit, examining in excess of 1,500 incidents reported to the force drawn from six twenty-four-hour periods. These were tracked through the force IMAGE software to ensure that where appropriate, incidents had been categorised as crimes and, where further information suggesting that an incident had not in fact been a crime, that the system had been updated accordingly. All forces are expected to apply the Scottish Crime Recording Standard ( SCRS) and to recognise the work outlined in the HMIC thematic report, 'Meeting the Standard'.

5.21 The audit found 28 incidents where no crime report had been raised but where according to the SCRS, one should have been. This error rate, while not excessive, is at the upper end of the range found in Scottish forces. It was also of concern to HMIC that a very small number of serious crimes had not been recorded appropriately. Several factors were identified during the inspection that are believed to have an impact on this.

5.22 First, although an IMAGE entry may only be 'closed' by an authorised individual, this person could be the FCC supervisor, an operational sergeant, or another 'authorised' person. Hence, even on a single shift, there is no consistency of supervision. Secondly, while probationary officers are trained in the SCRS and all staff have received a copy of the 2006 SCRS, the force recognises that there is scope to improve actual understanding of the Standard. These factors have contributed to Recommendations 2a, 2c and 2d regarding consistency of monitoring, incident management and crime recording.

5.23 The force Performance Management Unit regularly audits the IMAGE system. While HMIC welcomes this practice, there appears to be an inappropriate reliance on this to the detriment of regular supervisory activity at the initial stages of the crime recording process.

5.24 A third factor which HMIC believes relevant both to the force and to public perception is that the Force Crime Registrar, who is responsible for the force's adherence to the SCRS, is also a Detective Chief Inspector with line management responsibility for several areas of crime performance. Recommendations made in 'Meeting the Standard' and other Primary Inspections have clearly indicated that the responsibilities of the Crime Registrar should be separate from the detection and management of crime.

Crime Management

5.25 In common with almost all Scottish police forces, Dumfries and Galloway has seen a reduction in the rate of groups 1-4 crime over the last year. This has declined from 60 crimes per 10,000 population in 2004-05 to 51.7 for 2005-06. Only Fife Constabulary recorded a greater drop over the same period.

5.26 The two divisions have a different approach to managing volume crime. Dumfries division, which deals with higher volumes of crime, has a Crime Management Unit with a Deputy Crime Manager, Field Intelligence Officer and Analyst. In contrast, every six months or so Galloway division puts together a 'backtrack' team comprising three officers from sections within the division. These officers are tasked with re-examining undetected crimes in high volume categories, in light of any trends or patterns that may have since emerged. An evaluation report of the backtracking operation revealed officers' initial understanding of the SCRS to be less than ideal, and that a 'significant' number of errors had been identified on the IMAGE crime records.

5.27 While both approaches are successful in their respective areas, there is residual doubt about the consistency of the force's initial handling of crime reports, as already noted at paragraph 2.14 regarding performance management, and above in relation to Crime Recording. It may be that the measures taken by the force in respect of these recommendations may also impact upon this area.

5.28 HMIC acknowledges that these comments are made in the context of a force whose performance, in terms of the proportion of crimes solved, is consistently strong in comparison with that of other forces.

Major Crime Enquiries

5.29 The Detective Superintendent, Head of Crime Management Services, has overall responsibility for managing major crime investigations. In such circumstances he will appoint the Senior Investigating Officer ( SIO) and, where appropriate, will put mentoring in place for less experienced SIOs.

5.30 The force acknowledges that it has a shortage of practical SIO experience. Under the direction of the Detective Superintendent, it has put in place a skills matrix to manage the development of existing SIOs of Detective Inspector ( DI) rank. This matrix addresses not only formal training, but also practical experience. HMIC commends this approach as good practice.

5.31 To maximise resilience at SIO level, the force includes all Detective Inspectors ( DIs) on the 'on call' rota. Though this may cause extra general work for the specialist DI, it also ensures that experience is developed across all DIs. The force is also arranging to send its SIOs on short attachments to Strathclyde police, in order to increase their exposure to Category A and B enquiries. Although this is planned, the first attachment is yet to go ahead. HMIC will be interested to see the progress made at the time of the review inspection.

5.32 The force is fully engaged in the ACPOS Major Crime Capability and Capacity Review, having seconded a Detective Inspector to work with the team. The outcome of this work is expected to benefit all forces, particularly those like Dumfries and Galloway where the depth and breadth of SIO experience is a particular issue.

5.33 Despite the above comments, HMIC found examples of the force leading significant crime enquiries, not only within its own boundaries but also in joint work with other forces to address travelling criminals. It competently and enthusiastically targets NIM level 2 criminality.

5.34 The force does not have a dedicated Major Crime Team as is found in some forces. Rather, it draws resources from across the force as and when required and as outlined in its Major Crime Investigation - Review and Logistics/Resource Policy. Dedicated major incident rooms, consistent with the Major Incident Room Standardised Administrative Procedures ( MIRSAP), are available at both Dumfries and Stranraer.

Intelligence-Led Policing

5.35 The National Intelligence Model ( NIM) is at the foundation of service delivery in Scottish and UK policing. It is used to identify appropriate priorities and to identify and task the appropriate resources to deal with these. In 2005 the ACPOSNIM Implementation Team inspected Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary's compliance with the NIM Minimum Standards. HMIC found plans and resources in place to respond to the NIM Team's recommendations and was able to examine the force's progress to date.

5.36 Although there are still areas to be fully addressed and though some nationally consistent terminology is still not being used at all levels, HMIC was encouraged to observe the ethos and practice of NIM at strategic and operational levels with the force. At the strategic level, it has already been noted that the force planning process is being revised to adopt the NIM process more fully. While, at front-line level, HMIC attended a routine shift briefing at which a target was identified and officers briefed on the intelligence requirement necessary to develop the target profile. It was clear too that other ongoing force operations had also been selected and prepared in accordance with NIM principles.

5.37 As part of its moves to comply with NIM standards, the force is planning to establish a dedicated covert human intelligence sources ( CHIS) unit. It is expected to be in place prior to this report being published. The unit, along with work being carried out to realign sex offender monitoring in light of the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements ( MAPPA) that will come into effect in 2007, will have an effect on the structure of the Force Intelligence Bureau ( FIB).

5.38 The structure and efficient management of the FIB and the appropriate management of analytical resources are crucial elements in delivering intelligence-based policing. Given the amount of change going on in the force at the time of inspection, HMIC will return to this area at the first review inspection.

5.39 HMIC was pleased to note the systematic co-operation between Scottish and English forces through the Border Forces Tasking and Co-ordinating Group, which meets quarterly to consider cross-border crime.

Forensic Science Support

5.40 Dumfries and Galloway is one of several Scottish police forces that does not have a forensic science laboratory based within the force. Instead it has service level agreements with other laboratories from whom it obtains whatever services it requires.

5.41 At the time of inspection preparations were underway for transferring the provision of forensic support to the Scottish Police Services Authority from April 2007. This is likely to have an impact on how forensic support is organised within the force. HMIC noted that the department has limited IT support for tracking its work, and that the cost of implementing such a system would be disproportionate to the scale of the department. It is anticipated that a move to a nationally provided service would address this. HMIC will take a keen interest in the development of this national matter.

Policing Diverse Communities

5.42 The force has developed a comprehensive Diversity Strategy. This is based on the ACPOS model, which seeks to direct how policing should address the needs of minority groups. The Strategy has been developed by applying the Balanced Scorecard Approach to different strands of diversity. Police officers are active participants in the various groups that have been developed to represent the various minorities within the force area.

5.43 To help operational officers adopt an appropriate and sensitive approach to minorities, a Diversity Awareness Guide is made available to all officers. First published in 2004, the Guide is developed in conjunction with the various minority groups, who decide what they want officers to know about their group. Updated and published annually, it also contains contact details of community leaders.

5.44 The force area does not have a significant population of asylum seekers, although a good number do pass through the ports at Stranraer and Cairnryan. The force's approach here is covered in detail in paragraph 5.119. However, there has been a large influx of Eastern European workers, particularly from Poland. In response, the force has been developing liaison arrangements with Polish and other communities. In November 2006 it hosted a Polish Day in Castle Douglas. The event was publicised in Polish and advertised in businesses employing these migrant workers. Other partner agencies in the area, such as the Fire Service, Health Service and Council, also took part.

5.45 The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender ( LGBT) community within the area is becoming more active. Social events have been organised and the youth group now hasfull-time workers and offices in Dumfries. The force actively engages with this traditionally hard to reach group and is represented on the local LGBT Advisory Group. It is also working towards gaining the newly developed LGBT Youth Charter Mark.

5.46 The inspection found ample evidence, from both the force and external stakeholders, of the considerable efforts being made to engage with all minority communities and to monitor and address changing trends. HMIC is pleased to note the force's efforts in this area.

Community Tension

5.47 The force maintains close links with minority groups. Liaison officers for the different groups are of supervisory rank and are tasked with identifying any emerging issues that might impact on communities or the force. Information gathered is discussed at management meetings both at force and divisional levels. Any matters arising will be addressed either by local divisional management or at force level as appropriate. Briefings from the National Community Tensions Team are cascaded throughout the force, as are local briefings from Special Branch.

5.48 Community impact assessments are compiled for significant events. The potential impact of national issues on local minority communities and racial tensions is considered on an individual basis, in order to assess the relevance of creating a community impact assessment.

Victim Support

5.49 The need to provide support and advice to victims of crime is recognised in the force Strategic Action Plan. HMIC found an innovative and effective method of referral to Victim Support being operated in both divisions. In the first instance victims are told about the services of Victim Support and informed that, unless they wish otherwise, their details will be made available to the agency who will then contact them. In addition the force has vetted a small number of Victim Support staff who, under the terms of an information sharing protocol, are allowed access to limited information directly from the force IMAGE incident recording system. This means that unlike many other forces, Dumfries and Galloway has no need to prepare data spreadsheets and transmit these to Victim Support. HMIC commends this approach and found it to be valued by both the police and Victim Support.

5.50 Exempt from this process are victims of domestic abuse. In these cases, female victims are told of the support available from Women's Aid and provided with contact details should they wish to make contact. Similarly, male victims are given contact details for Victim Support. Officers who attend initially at domestic abuse incidents submit details to the Family Protection Unit ( FPU), who will contact the victim and provide further information about available support services and/or offer support if appropriate. Subsequent contact between domestic abuse victims and support groups is significantly lower than that which occurs as a result of the 'opt out' approach described above. HMIC accepts that there are additional factors to be considered where contacting domestic abuse victims is concerned, such as the fact that in many instances the perpetrator may live at the same address as the victim. Given these circumstances the preferred approach is one that encourages the victim, rather than the support agency, to initiate contact.

5.51 During the inspection it was apparent that some officers attending incidents of domestic abuse were not fully conversant with these two approaches. Assuming erroneously that the incident would be captured by the Victim Support process, some officers were failing to take a more proactive role in informing victims of available support services. Having been alerted to this matter, the force had already begun to address this matter before HMIC's inspection had finished.

5.52 In addition to the victim support facilities described above, the force makes comprehensive use of Restorative Justice Warnings when responding to incidents and crime. This involves the officer co-ordinating the warning contacting the victim to ensure his or her input to the process. In these and other examples, HMIC was reassured by the consideration Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary shows to its victims of crime.

Vulnerable Persons

5.53 The force has no specific policy or training in relation to dealing with vulnerable persons and instead relies on its officers to deal with all members of the community appropriately and sensitively. Specific guidance is in place in relation to vulnerable persons that are reported as missing persons, are arrested or become involved with the police in the course of a criminal enquiry. The force has close links with the local Appropriate Adult scheme and facilitates training to ensure that scheme members are aware and have some experience of police and criminal justice processes and procedures. The force recognises that its published guidance is dated, and is working with the national group to develop new guidance based on the recommendations of Scottish Executive research on the scheme.

5.54 Nationally many forces are ensuring that their officers are provided with appropriate guidance and training to allow them to deal effectively and sensitively with vulnerable members of the community. The lack of a structured policy and a uniform approach to identifying appropriate training needs has been recognised by the force. It is intent on using the development and launch of the Disability Equality Scheme as the platform to take these issues forward, and HMIC will examine its progress at the next review inspection.

Family Liaison

5.55 The force deploys family liaison officers ( FLOs) on the basis of agreement between the FLO co-ordinator and the investigating officer in the case. While its use of FLOs for incidents such as fatal road crashes and serious crime was consistent with HMIC's expectations, the force demonstrated some innovative deployments in missing persons cases. Though not routinely used in missing person cases, extenuating factors led the force to deploy FLOs in two cases: one where the missing person was later found to have been murdered, and one later found to have committed suicide. In both instances, the early involvement of an FLO was of benefit to both the subsequent enquiry and the family.

5.56 The force has also shown considerable flexibility in selecting the FLO co-ordinator. Previously the post was held by an Inspector, who retained the role when promoted to a new post. The force has subsequently advertised for a co-ordinator on the basis of the specific skills required rather than by rank. As a result, the post is now held by a constable. This officer had previously acted as deputy FLO co-ordinator and as such was confident in negotiating with senior officers to determine appropriate deployments. HMIC commends the force for selecting staff on the basis of skills appropriate to the specific role, rather than by rank.

Family Protection Unit

5.57 The Family Protection Unit ( FPU) is led by a Detective Inspector. Its remit covers sexual offences, child protection, domestic abuse and managing sex offenders. The work of this Unit links extensively with partner agencies including the Children's Reporter, Social Services Department, Procurator Fiscal and support agencies. The department is divided into three units, one dealing with sex offender monitoring, one with domestic abuse and an enquiry team dealing with the remaining offences.

5.58 In September of 2006, the Social Work Inspection Agency carried out inspections of Social Work generally and Criminal Justice Social Work specifically in the Dumfries and Galloway area. Both of these reports are available on its website www.swia.gov.uk. These reports considered, in detail, joint working around managing high risk offenders. While positive in terms of sex offender management, they noted that there was scope for further improving the management of high risk violent offenders. The police will be involved with the council in responding to the areas highlighted in these reports. HMIC noted that the force has engaged with the Scottish Prison Service to identify sex offenders who are nearing the end of their sentence and who will be subject to monitoring, in order to plan the work of its sex offender monitoring unit.

5.59 Several factors drew HMIC's attention to this area of force performance. The detection rate for Group 2, sexual offences, has declined since 2001-02 from 92% to 66% in 2004-05, before increasing in the last year to 74%. Some of this effect may be consistent with the findings of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service ( COPFS) review of the investigation and prosecution of rape and serious sexual offences, published in June 2006, which found inconsistencies in reporting such offences for prosecution across forces. Thus one of the report's recommendations was that the Lord Advocate publish guidelines to remove these inconsistencies. Work with both ACPOS & COPFS is ongoing in this area. Subsequent improvements in consistency across Scotland are likely to have an impact on figures for all forces, and HMIC will maintain an interest in this area.

5.60 In August 2006 Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary launched a joint initiative with the Area Procurator Fiscal, Women's Aid, Rape Crisis and Victim Support, to identify ways to improve the reporting and prosecution of rape locally.

5.61 HMIC also considered the force's arrangements in respect of domestic abuse. The force has a detective sergeant and three detective constables dedicated to this work within the FPU. Evidence of very positive partnership working was found, including a high profile media campaign to raise the profile of this crime in the area, organised by the multi-agency Domestic Abuse Strategy Group.

5.62 The force has a 'Standards of Service' document in relation to the police response to domestic abuse. This was under review at the time of inspection. Thorough reporting mechanisms were found in respect of reporting incidents of domestic abuse where children were affected, to both Social Work and the Children's Reporter.

5.63 The force has adopted a risk assessment approach which it describes as being based roughly on the SPECSS model. This model identifies Separation, Pregnancy, Escalation, Cultural Issues, Stalking and Sexual Assault as being relevant factors. The force then identifies whether a case is classed as red, amber or green, to identify potential risk to the officers initially attending. While there was some evidence of additional tasks being carried out for higher risk cases, HMIC found no recorded process that distinguished how these different cases would be treated.

5.64 HMIC believes that it would be beneficial to draw together ongoing work with partners (see paragraphs 5.50 and 5.60) and revisions to the Standards of Service document with a more systematic approach from specialist staff responding to risk-assessed cases. The force has acknowledged this and has widened the remit of its review accordingly. Consequently, HMIC will return to this area at the review inspection.

5.65 HMIC noted that for an extended period staff numbers in the unit had been depleted as a result of unavoidable abstractions, and that one member of staff had been put in place to cover the work of three officers. This had been rectified prior to HMIC completing its inspection.

Missing Persons

5.66 Missing Person enquiries within the force are subject to a Force Standing Order ( FSO), which details expectations and requirements in dealing with this type of enquiry. This FSO has recently undergone a major review to ensure that it complies with the ACPO Guidance on the Management Recording and Investigation of Missing Persons. Good practice for incorporating in the revised order has also been sought from other forces in general and from Grampian Police in particular due to its work in this area. In conjunction with this FSO, a Missing Person FlipChart has been developed. This is a detailed reference document setting out how to deal with Missing Persons, including sections on risk assessment, the responsibilities of officers involved at different levels, actions to be taken, types and sources of information required and examples of how the enquiry should be recorded.

5.67 The inspection team found robust procedures and processes in place to ensure that Missing Person Enquiries were properly co-ordinated and recorded using information technology resources available within the force. The force has also identified a computer package which would enhance these processes, and has referred this to ACPOS for consideration as a national solution.

5.68 The force has procedures in place to standardise approaches to the most common types of vulnerable Missing Persons queries, and formal protocols are developed as appropriate. A good example of this type of work would be the protocol between the force and the Dumfries and Galloway Primary NHS Trust in relation to patients going missing from health establishments. This protocol clearly outlines the responsibilities on both sides. It also explains how risk should be assessed and includes a Risk Assessment Checklist to be completed by medical staff and passed on to the police.

5.69 The force has developed particular expertise in organising, training and developing the role of Search Managers. It currently has 11 trained Search Managers, including a Sergeant who is the Search Manager Co-ordinator. The Co-ordinator is the first point of contact should a Search Manager be required. He will make an initial assessment of the circumstances and make sure an appropriate Search Manager is made available. All search managers have attended a recognised search management course and there is a mentoring scheme within the force for those who have recently completed their training.

5.70 Search Managers are not called out for all reported Missing Persons. However, over time the practice has developed of using them as advisors in the same way as an advisor for public order or firearms might be consulted. This results in a more informed decision about whether a search is desirable or practicable and ensures an informed input at an early stage.

5.71 The inspection found a good level of co-operation between the Search Managers and the Police Search Advisors ( POLSA). Both disciplines are very clear as to their responsibilities and each will defer to the other in their particular field of expertise. The relevant FSO is clear about when each type of search discipline is required.

5.72 The relationship that has developed between the force and the two local Mountain Rescue Teams is particularly noteworthy. The members of both teams have agreed that they will assist the force in any Missing Person search in any environment. With this development the force has available to it experienced searchers who are used to working as a team. Deployments in recent times have included urban as well as rural locations.

Firearms Licensing

5.73 Responsibility for administering firearms licensing within the force falls to the Firearms Licensing Section within Corporate Services. The section itself is made up entirely of support staff and has its own manager. However, the Chief Inspector Corporate Services is responsible for monitoring their work and for taking decisions on licence refusals and revocations. Despite the high workload to be expected in a rural force, in excess of 98% of both firearms and shotgun certificates are renewed before the expiry date. This is due to rigorous processes in place to ensure that target dates are met. In the absence of the proposed national IT solution, the force has acquired a computerised system 'Shogun' to assist in this administration. HMIC is content that the force is performing well in this area.

Liquor and Other Licensing

5.74 As part of the 'Community Promise' the force has pledged to tackle alcohol-related crime. Its approach to this is very much operationally based, with all licensing issues being the responsibility of the Operational Commander (Chief Inspector) at each division. The force area is covered by four licensing boards, two in each division. The Area Commanders (Inspectors) assist the Operational Commanders in their licensing role. Routine licensing issues are covered at the daily management meetings held at both divisions, while any licensing issues which may have an operational impact are referred to the local Tasking and Co-ordinating Group. All administration is carried out by the divisional Administration Units.

5.75 The force has made significant efforts to develop successful professional relationships with the licensed trade. This has resulted in a number of successful Pubwatch and Make our Bars Safe Schemes, which have in turn led to persons being banned from all pubs in an area. Positive public support for these activities was apparent in HMIC's consultations with force stakeholders. The force is also aware of the need to manage and influence licensing issues when late hours licences, both catering and alcohol, can lead to a culture of disorder. It has recently enjoyed some success in objecting to and influencing the grant of some applications in areas with identified problems. The force also consults closely and regularly with the Procurator Fiscal and the Reporter, to ensure that they are aware of initiatives being held and of current community concerns. HMIC found the force's approach to licensing to be proportionate to local circumstances.

Drugs Policing

5.76 In 2002-03 Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary staged the highly successful Operation Emperor, making a significant impact on the drug trade in the Stranraer area. This success was repeated in Operation Roundup, targeting drug dealers in the Dumfries area, the final stage being targeted raids in December 2005. The key target appeared at court in May 2006 and was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment.

5.77 This inspection report has discussed the need for prioritised, intelligence-based policing. Operation Roundup is a good example of this and of the thorough, and in many cases patient, approach needed to deliver significant impacts. It began in 2003 by targeting lower level dealers and, over the course of the following months, worked through levels of the drug trade building an important picture of the issues involved.

5.78 By the culmination of the operation, over 100 dealers had been arrested, in excess of £500,000 worth of drugs seized and assets of over £330,000 recovered from the dealers. Its success has been widely commented upon, both in the local and national media.

5.79 The force recognises that it cannot address drug issues either by itself or solely through enforcement. Tackling substance misuse is an element of the Safe and Healthy Communities strand of the Dumfries Community Plan. As such, it is recognised at strategic level across partner bodies as an area at which resources should be targeted. The force's influence and commitment at strategic level is evident with the Alcohol and Drug Action Team ( ADAT) being chaired by the Chief Constable.

5.80 The force's non-enforcement activities, including the harm and demand reduction strands of the ACPOS Drugs Strategy, are co-ordinated at operational level by the Substance Misuse Co-ordinator who is based in the force Drug Squad office. In addition to linking with local partners, this officer also liaises with the National Drug Co-ordinator based at the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency ( SCDEA). In 2006, 82% of the area primary schools, along with community police officers, attended the SCDEA 'Choices For Life' event at the Glasgow SECC.

5.81 APEX operates an arrest referral scheme at the force custody stations, enabling access to drug treatment for those wishing to take up this service. A needle-exchange scheme is active in the force area, and the force is considering a move to provide this in its custody areas.

5.82 In addition to the resources committed to education, enforcement and harm reduction, HMIC was encouraged by the force's partnership approach to drug-related deaths. The ADAT has formed a Drug Death Review Group to tackle the number of drug-related deaths. This is felt to be a valuable indicator and has been incorporated into both the Community Plan indicators and the force's 'Community Promise'. The Review Group convenes a case conference after a death to consider all available evidence from partners in order to identify any potential actions that could be taken to reduce further instances. This information is then fed back to the ADAT. This procedure was introduced in early 2006, hence there has been no long term evaluation of its effectiveness. HMIC will be keen to return to this subject at the review inspection.

Fraud and Financial Investigation

5.83 In June 2006, the creation of the Fraud and Financial Investigation Unit brought together the specialist areas of fraud, financial investigation and e-crime. This Unit is led by a Detective Sergeant, within the Crime Management Service department. Although fraud and computer crime are not currently such a threat as to be separately identified within the force Strategic Plan, the financial investigation work of the department is referred to specifically in its role in seizing the assets of drug dealers. Resources in the department are weighted in favour of financial investigations, consistent with this strategic imperative.

5.84 The force area has enjoyed considerable successes in applying the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. In the year to April 2006, in excess of £750,000 was restrained, relating primarily to drugs but also to other crime and money laundering. In addition, £170,000 in cash was seized. While by its nature much of this work is not seen by the public, as part of its operations the force has also physically removed valuable property, such as performance vehicles, from drug dealers. Stakeholders commented positively on the impact of these activities, during the inspection.

5.85 The scale and remit of this Unit was found to be appropriate to the force's purposes and there was clear evidence of partnership links necessary to developing and maintaining performance in this area of policing. The Unit also provides briefings and support to officers across the force, to maximise the potential of its expertise.

Police Use of Firearms

5.86 In common with all other forces in Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway works to the ACPO Manual of Guidance on the Police Use of Firearms and the ACPOS Statement of Intent on the Police Use of Firearms and Less Lethal Weapons in Scotland. It is also preparing for the National Police Firearms Training Curriculum. The Force Standing Order for this sphere of activity combines these guidelines with necessary local adjustments and information. The force has completed a Strategic Firearms Threat Assessment which has been submitted to ACPOS. During the inspection HMIC scrutinised this document and identified several areas where it did not fully consider or address relevant areas of risk or threat. The identified areas include the following: reference to, but no quantification of, the amount and type of intelligence; no breakdown of incidents where firearms may have been an appropriate response; no mention of the Chapelcross Nuclear facility and the presence of its Civil Nuclear Constabulary in 'identified sites of interest'; and no reference to levels of force support required for an incident at these or other premises. HMIC believes that the force should revise its Assessment and look to ACPOS to provide examples of what it considers to be good practice. The force is aware of this consideration and is already reviewing the Assessment. HMIC will look at developments in this area at the next review inspection.

5.87 The force currently has eight Tactical Firearms Advisors (1.5% of force strength) who are also Firearms instructors. In addition there are 38 Authorised Firearms Officers (combined 8.9% of force strength). The force Executive has authorised increasing this establishment by 12 additional officers, bringing the total number trained to 58 or 11.3% of the force strength. While adequate arrangements are in place for ensuring the availability of trained Gold and Silver Firearms Commanders, the force is monitoring the situation and planning ahead to ensure that adequate provision is maintained.

5.88 The force does not maintain any Armed Response Vehicle capability on routine patrol, having assessed that no such facility is required. In 2004-05 the force dealt with one firearms incident, while in 2005-06 it dealt with three. The force does, however, retain the capability to put Armed Response Vehicles on patrol should circumstances dictate this. In normal circumstance should a firearms response be required, on-duty Authorised Firearms Officers or off-duty officers called out must go to the locations where ready equipment boxes and vehicles are located. Exercises have shown that this can be achieved within acceptable timescales. The force accepts that if a sustained firearms operation was required then it would request mutual aid from other forces. To this effect, arrangements with Strathclyde Police are already in place.

5.89 The force's own instructors provide a full range of firearms training. The force has officers trained in various disciplines including rifle, close protection, shotgun, carbine, and less lethal options such as the 'Taser' electrical discharge device and 'baton' rounds. The force attempts to maintain a geographical spread of Authorised firearms Officers throughout the force. It also monitors the situation to ensure against too many specialist skills being confined to so few individuals that these officers are unable respond to all calls on their expertise. Although, in a force the size of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary some multi-skilling is unavoidable. Regular joint training is also carried out with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, who maintains a unit at Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station.

5.90 In the past HMIC has recommended that forces have Armed Response Vehicles on patrol. However, Dumfries and Galloway is one of the few forces to have seen a recent decline in an already low incidence of armed crime. Work is also going on, both in force to further develop the Strategic Threat Assessment, and through ACPOS to review capability and protective services across Scotland. In these circumstances HMIC is content that such a recommendation for Dumfries and Galloway is not appropriate at this time. The Chief Constable should continue to monitor and assess the threat level and respond appropriately.

Public Order

5.91 While the force has only a very small number of public order deployments, it has 63 officers trained to national public order standards. They are supported by four tactical Advisers. The force is confident that it can meet its national commitment to providing one police support unit for mutual aid, having demonstrated this ability during the 2005 G8 Summit. The Public Order Co-ordinator within the force is currently an inspector, although the role is not post- or rank-specific. The Co-ordinator represents the force at national ACPOS level groups and oversees operational issues, training, equipment and Health and Safety relative to Public Order. Although the force does not yet have a separate public order policy it is currently developing one. The force does comply with ACPOS guidelines and the 'Keeping the Peace' Manual. The inspection found the force to have a practical and professional approach to Public Order that was proportionate to the size of the force.

5.92 While some officers are multi-skilled within different disciplines, their numbers are low. The force continues to monitors this situation. HMIC was pleased to note the force's commitment to the welfare of its Public Order Officers, carrying out appropriate health screening checks prior to recruitment and before each of the bi-annual training sessions.

Underwater/Marine Support

5.93 The force does not have its own resources for either underwater search or marine support. Instead it has a Force Standing Order that lays down the procedures necessary to obtain this type of support.

5.94 Underwater Search support is provided by Strathclyde Police. The force requires a Superintendent to authorise any such call out. The FSO contains a useful list of the factors to be considered in assessing the appropriateness of using divers and the information that Strathclyde Police will need. Strathclyde Police will recharge the cost of any operation to the force.

5.95 The same FSO also covers arrangements for maritime support, and highlights the role of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in co-ordinating such a response.

Air Support

5.96 The most common need for air support within the force is in relation to search and rescue operations. In these circumstances the force will approach the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre ( ARCC) to provide the necessary support. These arrangements work well and the force will always consult a Search Manager prior to implementing these arrangements.

5.97 For other operations involving air support, the force relies on mutual aid from Strathclyde Police. Force procedures require a member of the Force Executive to authorise any such request. The force is also represented on the Scottish Police Service Air Support Project.

Mountain Rescue

5.98 While not operating its own Mountain Rescue Team ( MRT), the force has longstanding relationships with two voluntary teams, both of whom are members of the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland. Several police officers are members of the teams and police liaison officers sit on the management committees of both teams. The Moffat Mountain Rescue Team covers the east of the force, while the Galloway Mountain Rescue Team covers the west.

5.99 As mentioned in paragraph 5.69 the force maintains a team of Search Managers, all of whom train with the MRTs on a regular basis. The Search Manager Co-ordinator is responsible for organising this training. As well as local exercises, two annual joint training exercises are held each year involving the force's Search Managers and both MRTs.

5.100 Although the force has no documented criterion for calling out an MRT, each incident is assessed on an individual basis in conjunction with advice from the Search Manager Co-ordinator. Once a team has been called out, the force will deploy a Search Manager and a police incident officer to the location of the incident. The police Search Manager will work in conjunction with an MRT Search Manager to share experience and ensure that all possible search parameters are considered. Early in the incident an assessment will be made as to whether a Family Liaison Officer is required. This decision will be re-assessed as required. This particular model of having a police Search Manager, incident officer and, if appropriate, a Family Liaison Officer at an incident attracted very positive comment from MRT members during the inspection, and HMIC considers this to be good practice.

Police Dogs

5.101 Although the force does not operate a formal Dog Section it does have one General Purpose Police Dog available for duty, based in Dumfries Division. Its handler performs community policing duties in addition to his role as dog handler, and carries out joint training with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary Dog Section based at Chaplecross Power Station. A General Purpose Police Dog should also be stationed within Galloway Division, but the previous incumbent has yet to be replaced. A drugs search dog is maintained by the Drug Squad at Dumfries, while the Ports Unit at Stranraer maintains a number of specialist search dogs for drugs and explosives. The possibility of training a dog to identify both drugs and cash is also being explored. Although operations at the ports have priority, the force will use these dogs for other operations as and when required. The force is confident that its current establishment of dogs is proportionate to the demand and policing environment of the force area, but this situation is kept under review.

5.102 A Force Standing Order clearly lays down the criteria for deploying dogs and the process to be followed. It also provides helpful advice about the types of incidents and searches for which dogs are suitable.

Road Policing

5.103 In its 'Community Promise' 2006-07, the force states that for road policing it will:

• Reduce serious injury and fatal road crashes;
• Reduce road casualties;
• Support everyone affected by serious injury and fatal crashes;
• Combat criminal activity on our roads;
• Provide a highly visible presence on our roads.

5.104 It is recognised that partnership working is essential to achieving the government's Road Casualty Reduction Targets by 2010. In conjunction with Dumfries and Galloway Council and other partners, the force has developed a comprehensive Road Safety Plan for 2005-2008 to co-ordinate efforts in achieving these. However, at the present time the force does not appear to be on course to deliver its contribution to the national targets. Despite the positive partnership working, HMIC was concerned to note that until very recently the force had carried out no regular and structured analysis of road traffic collisions. It is recognised that the figures for fatal and serious collisions are statistically quite small. Nevertheless some regular process must be in place for analysing all road traffic collision figures and sharing this information within the force and with the partners in the Road Safety Strategy.

5.105 In an effort to ensure that road policing is seen as an integral part of policing throughout the force area, road policing resources have mainly been devolved to divisional level in the form of the Mobile Support Group ( MSG). With primary responsibility for road policing, the MSG seeks to improve awareness of the force's aims in relation to road policing amongst other divisional staff. The MSG provides 24-hour road policing coverage across the force as well as support for normal operational policing. The MSG is seen as an integral part of the Tasking and Co-ordinating framework within the divisions, and the inspection team observed that divisional officers are encouraged to and do participate in road policing initiatives. The MSG has officers trained in all of the main areas of road policing enforcement. HMIC is pleased that the force recognises the importance of pursuit management in line with the national guidelines, and commends the associated joint training it carries out with Cumbria Police.

5.106 Dumfries and Galloway Safety Camera Partnership operates no fixed site cameras but has two mobile, high visibility camera enforcement units. The partnership currently deploys its mobile units to monitor 16 identified sites and has two route strategies. Information from the monitoring sites and road traffic collisions data are analysed to inform decisions as to where to deploy the enforcement units, in line with Scottish Executive criteria. The force is also now making more use of this information. The partnership has a communications policy which ensures that the road safety message is disseminated in the media, by poster, the internet and other advertising. It also conducts and acts upon the results of public opinion surveys, in line with the national guidelines.

5.107 HMIC notes that the force has the highest level in Scotland of road traffic offences per thousand population. For 2005-06 this stands at 169.5 offences per thousand population, compared with a Scottish average of 73.5. The major percentage of these are speeding offences, of which the force records some 125.3 per thousand population compared with a Scottish average of 32.9. Further investigation revealed that the majority of these speeding offences had been detected by the Safety camera Partnership's mobile enforcement cameras when they were deployed on the M74 motorway. In 2005 the Camera Partnership detected 21,867 speeding offences. Of these some 19,305 (88%) had occurred on the M74 motorway, yet just under 40% (432.75 hours) of the Camera Partnership's enforcement hours only had been spent covering that road. This equates to an average of 44.6 detections per hour. However, the M74 motorway does not have the highest casualty levels for serious and fatal road traffic collisions in the force area. The highest rates occur on the A75, which is covered for only 30% of total deployed hours. HMIC believes there is a need to ensure that the work of the Safety Camera Partnership more closely aligns with the force's wider efforts to reduce casualties on the roads.

5.108 The force's Road Safety Unit takes the lead in the region for providing road safety inputs and classes. It co-ordinates its work in line with national guidelines and the local Road Safety Strategy. As well as organising its own events, the Unit will often attend those organised by partner agencies.

5.109 HMIC found that all speeding detections from the Camera Partnership relating to police vehicles are referred to the Complaints and Professional Standards Department. The Department is responsible for ascertaining the circumstances of the offence and recommending to the Chief Superintendent whether it could be justified operationally under the relevant road traffic legislation. This process is applied to the force's own fleet and to any vehicle from another force that has been operating in the force area. Over an 18-month period, only four force vehicles were detected speeding, two of these instances being found to be operationally appropriate. In the remaining two cases, the driver was dealt with in the normal manner for such an offence. The findings were similarly split on the occasions when speeding vehicles from other forces were captured. HMIC considers this transparent and robust process in respect of police vehicles being detected for speeding offences to be good practice.

Collision Investigation

5.110 Although the force does not yet have a policy on investigating collisions, it follows the Roads Death Investigation Manual and the ACPOS Road Policing Strategy 2005-08. It is also active in the national forum that is currently looking to improve the standard approach to investigating collisions.

5.111 The force does not have a dedicated collision investigation unit. Instead it uses officers, mainly from the Mobile Support Group, who in addition to their normal duties are trained in this role. The force currently has nine officers trained to the national standard, three of whom are also trained to the higher City and Guilds standard. All sergeants within the Mobile Support Group are trained Senior Investigating Officers ( SIOs). The force was able to show that it has procedures in place to provide an appropriate response to fatal or potentially fatal road collisions. Indeed, the inspection observed that the force assesses each fatal collision carefully, deploys Crime Management Service officers where necessary and uses additional technical means whenever possible. The recording skills of collision investigators have also been called on to assist in non road related incidents.

5.112 As mentioned in paragraph 3.35, the force is very aware of the trauma and stress that officers involved in this kind of work can suffer and has appropriate measures in place to assist them.

Specialist Search Operations

5.113 It was recently recognised that the Force Standing Order detailing the force search policy only concerned searches for individuals. This has now been updated to take account of all different types of searches, including specialist search operations. A consultation process is underway, after which the document will be submitted for approval to the Policy Group.

5.114 The force currently has one sergeant and two constable police search advisors ( POLSA). All three carry out POLSA duties in addition to their normal role. The sergeant is responsible for co-ordinating the use of POLSA within the force and for training and licensing issues. The POLSA constables each head a specialist search team based in the territorial divisions. HMIC found the current establishment of POLSA and search team members to be sufficient for requirements.

Emergency Planning

5.115 The force Emergency Planning Unit forms part of its Operational Services Department. The Unit is very active within the force, in local partnership arrangements and in the national forum. The force is well placed to respond to the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 ( CCA) and has appropriate structures and arrangements in place to address the requirements. The Force Executive is also active in this area and takes a full part in the local Strategic Co-ordinating Group. Recognising the impact of the new act, the Force Executive has increased the Emergency Planning Unit's numbers in order to ensure service continuity.

5.116 The force's particularly strong relationships with the council and other Category 1 responders was highlighted by stakeholders during the inspection. Work for the CCA is well structured and has been divided into relevant workstreams. A Tactical Co-ordinating Group monitors and report on progress.

5.117 Following the Lockerbie Air Disaster, a Major Emergency Scheme was formulated to serve as a generic contingency plan. This Scheme is still in place and is constantly updated in light of changing risks, threats, circumstances and legislation. It is described as presenting multi-agency management arrangements based on Strategic, Tactical and Operational response levels, and is compatible with the Scottish Executive publication 'Preparing Scotland - Scottish Guidance on preparing for emergencies'. Specific plans are in place for particular sites, if and when required. The force and its partners have a demanding and varied exercise programme that is based on risk assessments of threats and possible emergencies. HMIC is content that the force is working very well and has strong links with its partners in this important area.

Ports Policing

5.118 Ports policing is financed separately from the rest of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary, all costs being met by central government. In the current financial year this amounts to £2.67 million, funding over seventy police and support staff for the ports unit.

5.119 The ports have long been of strategic significance in terms of people, including terrorists, moving between Northern Ireland and mainland UK. Despite being part of the Common Travel Area that includes mainland UK, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, it now finds itself taking a key role in identifying illegal immigrants. The two ports are also increasingly busy freight ports, with some estimates now rating them on aggregate as the second busiest port in the UK. The force is actively engaging with partners and Scottish Executive ahead of plans to co-locate both ports at Cairnryan in 2008. The need to upgrade the police facilities at the ports is clear, and this imminent development is being seen as an opportunity to address the matter.

5.120 The ports unit has well established links with ferry-operating companies and agencies including Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs ( HMRC), United Kingdom Immigration Service ( UKIS) and the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP). These relationships have developed over a sustained period of joint working. More recently, Dumfries and Galloway's role as one of the pilot sites for the Single Intervention Work-stream Trial has further enhanced these relationships, through the secondment of a sergeant and two constables from Stranraer to UKIS. The Single Intervention Work-stream Trial is part of the national Border Management Programme. It recognises that irrespective of the traditional roles of these partners agencies, it is often the case that at the port itself one will play a greater role than that of its partners due to the nature of ports business. Historically, due to terrorist movements between Northern Ireland and the mainland, the police have taken the lead at Stranraer and Cairnryan. Joint working also extends to police officers who have been trained to use the equipment of other agencies, such as the ports baggage scanning facilities and the UKIS 'Quickscan' fingerprint system.

5.121 Despite focusing on potential terrorism concerns, police activity can often lead to the detection of immigration offences. Being a Common Travel Area, people can travel from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland and then onto Scotland without encountering passport checks. UKIS is aware of the rising number of immigration offences being detected and has assessed that the most efficient use of its resources is to assist the police. It is on this basis that the police officers are seconded to UKIS, based at Stranraer but managed through Glasgow. This arrangement began in July 2006 and appears at this stage to work well for both agencies. HMIC will return to this area at the review inspection, by which time the arrangements will be more fully tested.

5.122 Intelligence is a crucial part of policing in any context and particularly so when competing demands of crime, terrorism and immigration come together in a single unit. Acknowledging this, the ports unit follows the National Intelligence Model and has a Control Strategy in place that is linked to the Irish and West Coast Ports Group Control Strategy. The unit is supported by two analysts and a joint intelligence cell including HMRC, UKIS & DWP. This dedicated and structured approach translates into strong performance from this unit in all areas of its operation.

5.123 HMIC was impressed with the structure, partnership working and productivity of the Dumfries and Galloway Ports Unit. Further improvements are planned, including extending the coverage provided by existing support staff and preparing for the combined port.

Criminal Justice Process

5.124 The Chief Constable of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary is currently the Chair of the ACPOS Criminal Justice Business area and ACPOS representative on the National Criminal Justice Board. HMIC was pleased to note the energy and enthusiasm of force members in engaging in the local criminal justice process. The force is consistently meeting the targets for submitting police reports to both the Procurator Fiscal and the Reporter to the Children's panel. A considerable amount of consultation and partnership working goes on, with regular meetings taking place between the Area and District Procurator Fiscals and the Chief Constable and his senior management both at headquarters and from the operational side. There is an active local Criminal Justice Board, chaired by the Sheriff Principal, which has a programme of work to address national Criminal Justice priorities within Dumfries and Galloway.

5.125 In 2003 the force established a Satellite Reports Bureau Procurator Fiscal Liaison Office at the Area Procurator Fiscal's Office in Dumfries. This Bureau has developed over the years and is now staffed by a sergeant and two administrative assistants. At the present time it is the primary day to day point of contact between the force and both the Procurator Fiscal and the Reporter to the Children's Panel. The Bureau is responsible for ensuring the delivery of Standard Prosecution Reports, Statements and other correspondence to both services. It also monitors quality control and submission times, providing regular performance and quality reports to both the force and divisional/departmental managers. A great many of the routine enquiries from the Procurator Fiscal are dealt with by the Bureau without any need for a formal written request. And on occasions when a formal response is required, the Bureau will facilitate the response. The same is true of force members, who will contact the Bureau on minor routine matters rather than approach the Procurator Fiscal directly. However, both the force and the Procurator Fiscal have stressed that the presence of the Bureau does not preclude contact between their staff should this be required.

5.126 The Bureau sergeant also attends staff meetings at the Procurator Fiscal Office, and has a regular agenda item to provide an update and bring to light any issues or good practice arising. External stakeholders were very positive about the effectiveness and usefulness of the Bureau. The force too, holds the Bureau in high regard. While recognising that such an arrangement would not be suitable for all forces, HMIC sees the establishment of such a liaison facility within the Procurator Fiscal's Office to be good practice.

5.127 Within the Criminal Justice Process the force is also engaged in initiatives to address offending and divert people from prosecution. In conjunction with the Procurator Fiscal Service the force operates a Police Adult Warning Scheme. This Scheme was developed in response to the ACPOS Minor and Trivial Offences Protocol, and introduced in April 2006. In its first five months, 78 formal adult warnings were administered. This Scheme operates under clear, formal written guidelines that give officers and the force the discretion to decide when a warning would be appropriate and does not preclude any offender being reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

5.128 In the belief that focused intervention may help to reduce re-offending, the force actively ensures that offenders are offered all possible support. Together with the Procurator Fiscal it has launched a diversion from prosecution scheme for young people aged 15 ¹/ ₂ to 17 years. This has yet to be evaluated but it is hoped eventually to deal with over 300 referrals per year. The force also works with the Alcohol and Drugs Action Team, providing an arrest referral scheme that allows alcohol and drug users an opportunity to enter a treatment programme.

5.129 In 2002 the force introduced a Restorative Justice Process which remains up to date in relation to good and changing practice. The Process was completely re-launched in May 2005 to comply with changes to the ACPOS national guidelines. Since that time and up to 20 June 2006 there have been 363 referrals involving 344 individual youths. Of these, 38 have re-offended, giving a re-offending rate of 11%. This compares very favourably with the re-offending rate for traditional referrals to the Reporter: over the same period 130 youths out of 625, or 20.8%, went on to re-offend. Under the force's initial Restorative Justice Process the average length of time between caution and charge and administering the warning was 65 days. Under the new process this has fallen substantially, to 37 days. Even so, the ACPOS guidelines state that this period should not exceed 14 days. The force is aware of this issue and is continuing to work to reduce the timescales. HMIC will examine progress during the next Review Inspection.

5.130 In conjunction with its partners the force has created a comprehensive Youth Justice Strategy. This work is supported by the Chief Officers' Children's Services Group which involves Police, Procurator Fiscal, Reporter, Social Work, Education, and Health. The group co-ordinates the development of services for young people involved, or at risk of becoming involved, in offending behaviour. It includes developing services that work with young people to reduce the likelihood of them being involved in future offending.

5.131 The force appears to have no consistent approach to documenting, storing and auditing productions. Processes were found to vary from station to station, particularly those dealing with the quality of documentation and storage. The absence of a clear audit process in part arises from a lack of clarity concerning the purpose and extent of the performance audits carried out by headquarters, as referred to in Paragraph 2.14. This is an area of risk to the force and the processes surrounding productions should be reviewed at the earliest opportunity.

Warrants

5.132 The force's approach to warrants is clearly outlined in the Force Standing Order No. 34 Warrants, Summonses and Citations. The process is run by the Warrants Office located at Force Headquarters and the force's Incident Management and General Enquiry ( IMAGE) system is used to record warrants and manage the enquiry. Prioritisation follows the national protocol, as does the recording of developments after issue. Weekly reports are provided to the Procurator Fiscal and information is presented to the local Criminal Justice Board as well as to the ACPOS Criminal Justice Business Area. Regular auditing is carried out by staff in the department and by staff from the Performance Management Unit. Prior to being despatched to division, warrants are checked at the Force Intelligence Bureau and any information which may assist in their execution is added. Divisions are then responsible for executing the warrants. The force receives approximately 150 warrants of all types per month, and normally has an average of 425 warrants for execution.

5.133 Recent developments have incurred additional work to administer Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and Acceptable Behaviour Contracts, along with information about persons being placed on the Sex Offenders Register. Bringing these responsibilities together allows the information to be appropriately handled and ensures consistency of entry on national and local computer systems.

Care and Custody of Prisoners

5.134 The force has two designated custody holding stations for custodies being kept for court appearance, awaiting the arrival of an escort from another force/ agency or being held until deemed fit for release. A further eight stations are used for short-term custody or initial processing. While the majority of Scottish forces record prisoner details on a computer system, at the time of HMIC's visit Dumfries and Galloway was preparing to move from a paper-based system to a computer-based one (see also paragraph 4.38). As part of these preparations, all force custody policies and procedures were under review at the time of inspection.

5.135 The force has taken full advantage of the provisions of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 for appointing support staff with appropriate powers to roles in custody management. All custody staff at both the Dumfries and Stranraer holding stations are support staff rather than police officers. These staff have a dual role and can also deal with members of the public at the stations' enquiry counters.

5.136 HMIC was concerned that supervisory responsibility for custody at any time was held by a duty sergeant who was also responsible at the same time for the operational area. This is undesirable for two reasons. Firstly the officer may be involved in other operational duties at a time when supervisory attention to custody matters is needed. Secondly, decisions relating to custody are expected to be taken with some degree of independence. It is understandable that at small, short-term and receiving stations, the arresting officer may also be the processing officer. But this should not be the case more widely. HMIC would expect some dedicated supervisory availability for overseeing force custody matters, but accepts the difficulty brought about by the geographic spread and rural nature of the force. However, the ability to do this remotely will be significantly enhanced when the force adopts the SPIS Custody IT system.

5.137 Dumfries and Galloway Police and Fire Committee operates an Independent Custody Lay Visitor Scheme that conducts regular, unannounced inspections of the force's custody facilities. In the Progress Report 2005-2006, Scotland's Independent Custody Visiting Scheme, the force received praise on the basis of its lay visitors' findings. In 193 visits covering 166 custodies, there was not one single complaint regarding the conditions or treatment of those in custody. This was consistent with findings for the previous three years. HMIC met with the scheme co-ordinator and was reassured by the positive comments regarding the force's support for the scheme and co-operation in facilitating access whenever custody visitors attended a station.

5.138 The force has been carrying out improvements to a number of its custody facilities. These have included installing panic buttons and bars in cell passageways and rooms in which custody functions are carried out, and upgrading the CCTV systems. HMIC noted that CCTV coverage of the point of entry to the custody suite was available in only one of the stations visited. Extending this coverage and enhancing the level of lighting at the doors would be of further benefit to the force. HMIC is satisfied that these matters, along with the testing regime for the panic buttons and revision of the fire evacuation process, will be included in the force review of custody matters.

5.139 As noted in areas such as ports policing, the force deals with a range of people of a variety of nationalities and faiths. It is important that custody arrangements can meet diverse needs. HMIC was pleased to note that the force had given appropriate consideration to factors such as language, faith and diet within its custody suites. HMIC commends the force for providing explanatory notes detailing the custody and detention processes in a variety of languages. This is seen as good practice. A small but valuable enhancement is the provision of cordless telephones, making conference calls with interpreting services easier for officers and prisoners within the custody area.

5.140 With the impending change to computer-based custody recording, and the revision of force policies and procedures in light of this, HMIC will return to examine the force's approach to custody at the review inspection, taking a particular interest in supervisory oversight of operational custody matters.

Complaints and Professional Standards

5.141 The force maintains a Complaints and Professional Standards Unit. It reports directly to the Deputy Chief Constable on complaints and professional standards matters, while being line managed by the Superintendent, Corporate Services. The Unit has a clear remit which includes:

• To protect the integrity of the force;
• To protect force assets, particularly the vulnerable areas of intelligence, information and data;
• The administration and management of complaints relating to serious misconduct or criminality by any members of the force;
• The administration and management of allegations of minor misconduct by any members of the force;
• To investigate, where appropriate, allegations of corrupt practice by any members of the force;
• The administration of civil claims made by the force and against the force;
• The administration and recording of letters of appreciation;
• The administration and distribution of commendations and awards;
• The management of ethical matters namely acceptance of hospitality, gifts and sponsorship.

5.142 The Complaints and Professional Standards Unit is currently staffed by a Chief inspector and an Administrative Assistant. An additional temporary post for an Acting Inspector has recently been approved, the focus of which will be Professional Standards.

5.143 The Deputy Chief Constable appoints investigating officers for formal complaints involving allegations of serious misconduct or criminality. These will be drawn from divisional/departmental officers of inspecting rank and above. The Complaints and Professional Standards Unit manages and quality assures the process. Within the complaints and misconduct management function of the Unit, is a requirement to offer guidance, support, training and an independent overview to investigating officers. The Chief Inspector, Complaints and Professional Standards Unit, delivers inputs to all in-force supervisory or management courses. In particular, all newly promoted and Acting Inspectors are instructed in how to carry out investigations and on the standards expected. The force recognises the potential difficulties in appointing a senior investigative officer for a professional standards enquiry. The force is a signatory of the protocol in respect of Professional Standards Investigations Requiring Inter-Authority Assistance. It also has informal arrangements with other forces in respect of less serious professional standards enquiries.

5.144 Recognising the importance of an active and effective oversight, the force has encouraged the Complaints Sub Committee of the Police and Fire Committee to be more proactive. This Sub Committee meets every three months at Force Headquarters to review the current complaints and professional standards situation within the force. The Deputy Chief Constable hosts these meetings, with the assistance of the Chief Inspector, Complaints and Professional Standards Unit. Members are given a presentation detailing the latest complaints figures in the context of figures for the same period for the previous two years. A list is provided, detailing all live complaints, including a brief summary of the circumstances and any results since the last meeting. Members can then ask to examine any of the complaints files. During the inspection HM Lay Inspector had an opportunity to attend the November meeting of this Sub Committee. He was impressed by the force's openness in providing information, the knowledge and depth of engagement displayed by the members, and the free and frank debate about issues surrounding complaints, professional standards and conduct.

5.145 In 2005-06 the force received a rate of seven complaints per 100 officers, the lowest of any Scottish force. The most recent figures available for 1 April 2006 to 30 September 2006 suggest that it is maintaining this good standard of performance. The table below shows the force's performance for the equivalent six-month periods over the last three years.

Figure 7 Complaints Received by Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary

Figures are for the period 1 April to 30 September

5.146 The Complaints and Professional Standards Unit had carried out detailed analysis of the complaints allegations over the last three years, with the aim of identifying any trends or patterns. HMIC was content that the force had used every opportunity to learn from this valuable source of information.

5.147 The force treats all complaints seriously and HMIC was pleased to note that the force also uses the Centurion computer system to record quality of service or non-statutory complaints. Although the majority of these types of complaint are dealt with at divisional/departmental level, the Chief Inspector, Complaints and Professional Standards Unit, is responsible for monitoring and reviewing them. The force uses the statistics gathered on these and other formal complaints for performance management purposes. HMIC commends the force for its foresight and approach in tackling quality of service or non-statutory complaints in this way, and considers it to be good practice.

Media

5.148 The force has a Media Unit which is part of the Corporate Services Department. Staffing consists of a media officer, information officer, web administrator and graphic artist. The Unit co-ordinates and leads on media relations, improving internal communication and providing information to the public. To assist in this role the Media Officer attends the daily senior management morning meeting at Force Headquarters. This allows proactive and informed responses to any emerging issues to be prepared. Guidance on the media and on providing information to the public is available in a number of strategy and policy documents, including the Media Policy, the Communications and Marketing Strategy, and Information Strategy. The relevant Force Standing Order outlines the role of the Media Officer, and gives clear information on when use of the media is appropriate and what information should be provided.

5.149 The Unit is responsible for the content and development of the force internet and intranet sites. The intranet is a valuable tool for all staff members, giving easy access to information, policies, guidelines and much of the information required to carry out duties in the current environment. The force's internet site is well structured and offers easy access to members of the public looking for information. HMIC was pleased to note that the website complies with a number of international accessibility standards aimed at improving access for the visually impaired, blind, persons with learning difficulties and those with hand/motor impairment.