Argyll and Bute Local Policing Plan - Consultation Draft v0.3 (003)
Argyll and Bute Council · 9 March 2023
Back to Community Services Committee — 9 March 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Argyll and Bute - L Division - Local Policing Plan Appendix 1
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Contents Argyll and Bute - L Division - Local Policing Plan ....................................................... 1 Foreword ................................................................................................................ 3 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 5 National strategic alignment ................................................................................... 7 Police Scotland’s strategic objectives ..................................................................... 8 Argyll and Bute Local policing delivery context ....................................................... 9 Local priorities ...................................................................................................... 11 Local objectives and activity ................................................................................. 14 Threats to public safety and wellbeing are resolved by a proactive and responsive police service .................................................................................. 14 The needs of local communities are addressed through effective service delivery .......................................................................................................................... 19 The public, communities and partners are engaged, involved and have confidence in policing ........................................................................................ 22 Our people are supported through a positive working environment, enabling them to service the public ................................................................................. 27 Police Scotland is sustainable, adaptable and prepared for future challenges . 31 Governance and performance .............................................................................. 34 Equality, diversity and inclusion ............................................................................ 35 Engaging with us .................................................................................................. 36
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Foreword As the Local Police Commander I am pleased to introduce the Local Policing Plan for Argyll & Bute for 2023-26. I was proud to be appointed Divisional Commander of Argyll and West Dunbartonshire in December 2021 and I would like to thank my predecessor, Chief Superintendent John Paterson, for his commitment and dedication to policing this area before my arrival in post. This plan outlines how police officers and staff, working closely with partner agencies through the community planning process, will focus on local policing priorities over the next three years; it reflects the views of the diverse range of urban, rural, remote and island communities across the area as well as drawing on information from Police Scotland’s Strategic Assessment. Much has changed since the compilation of the last Local Policing Plan in 2020 and Police Scotland and our partners acknowledge the challenges and opportunities which lie ahead, particularly when we consider both the continued recovery from the global COVID pandemic and the current cost of living, creating an ever changing, uncertain and complex environment. Local Policing is at the heart of our relationship with communities and all of the officers and staff working across Argyll and West Dunbartonshire are committed to keeping our communities safe by providing a responsive, resilient and focussed service. This Local Policing Plan reflects the need to collaborate, refocus and redirect resources from across a range of sectors to meet the needs of the public. I am committed to developing and enhancing the strong community spirit that exists by building close alliances with our communities and partners across the public, private and third sectors to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities as set out in the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. We are all aware of the impact vulnerability, mental ill-health, alcohol and substance misuse has on both individuals and wider society. A broader understanding of the impact that living through the COVID pandemic has had is also starting to emerge, including the harms caused to individuals. The cost of living crisis is likely to further impact communities, families, households and businesses. It has been well documented that the associated demands placed on policing continue to grow with less than 20% of all calls received by the police service resulting in a crime being recorded.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL In developing our Local Policing Plans for 2023-26, we have consulted widely with our stakeholders – the public, partner agencies and our staff. The feedback we received has informed this plan. We will address priorities and tackle the things which you have told us matter to you the most. This plan builds on the strong foundations already in place, with a continued emphasis on crimes of violence and protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities, road safety, thefts – including cyber and digital frauds, drug supply and misuse and disorder. In addition to tackling traditional and visible crime and criminality, we must find different ways to prevent, disrupt and respond to the ever more inventive and complex use of digital tools and new tactics, often originating from beyond our borders, to commit fraud, extort money or cause harm. Increased use of social media across all age groups brings with it the requirement to raise awareness, through education, of the potential harm that can be caused and to ensure everyone remains safe on-line and has the confidence to report any matters of concern. In these challenging times, it is clear that the police service cannot meet the needs of everyone on its own. We will improve our skill set by continuing to actively participate in existing and new partnerships, listen to and learn from the experience of our people and communities and utilise our policing expertise to improve resilience, prevent crime and other harm. Whilst the demands and complexity of the challenges faced by Police Scotland continue to evolve our core values of integrity, fairness, respect and human rights will continue to underpin all we do. As your Local Police Commander I have a statutory responsibility under the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 to work closely with West Dunbartonshire and Argyll & Bute Local Authorities to ensure our Local Policing Plans are linked to the Local Outcome Improvement Plans. I am determined that officers and staff across the Argyll & West Dunbartonshire Division continue to provide a visible, effective and efficient policing service that is relevant to the communities we serve; preventing and detecting crime whilst providing support and protection to those who need us. I am immensely proud of the work police officers and staff do every hour of every day across the Division to keep people safe, and it’s my privilege to serve as your Local Police Commander. Chief Superintendent Lynn Ratcliff, Local Police Commander, Argyll & West Dunbartonshire Division
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Introduction Argyll & West Dunbartonshire Division has a large geographical footprint. At just under 3000 square miles, it reaches from Clydebank in West Dunbartonshire as far north as Oban, out to Mull, Coll and Tiree and south to Islay and Kintyre. Argyll & Bute has a population of just over 86,000 people and covers an area of almost 2,700 square miles making it the second largest local authority area in Scotland. It has a mix of more densely populated areas such as Helensburgh, Dunoon and Oban as well as island and rural communities such as Rothesay, Mull and Islay Nearly half of Argyll and Bute’s population live in areas classed as ‘rural’ with 43% of Argyll and Bute’s population living in areas classed as ‘remote rural’. To address the needs of rural communities, partnership working is at the heart of what we do, as all partners must work collaboratively if we are to serve the public within Argyll and Bute to the very best of our abilities. Around a quarter of the population of Argyll and Bute also live on one of the 23 inhabited islands which provides another dynamic to rural policing to ensure equality to access of policing services. To help with this, some of our islands have special constables residing there providing a vital link into some of the smaller island communities. Argyll and Bute has around 25% of its population in the 65+ year group, with recent findings showing a large number of younger people aged 15-24 years who migrate away from Argyll and Bute to study or seek employment. It is predicted that those 75+ years will continue to grow giving a very high number of elderly residents which can bring with it key challenges, particularly when you accompany this with the rurality of the area. The Chief Constable of Police Scotland has ultimate and overarching responsibility for the policing of Scotland as per Section 17 of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Section 47 of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 places a statutory responsibility on each Local Police Commander to produce a policing plan for their local authority area. These plans are not solely a legislative responsibility, but also demonstrate Police Scotland’s commitment to delivering local and national outcomes. Our Local Policing Plan 2023-2026 is linked to the Argyll and Bute Outcome Improvement Plan1 which is currently being reviewed for 2023. It currently provides the local outcomes for Argyll and Bute as: Outcome 1 In Argyll and Bute the economy is diverse and thriving Outcome 2 We have infrastructure that supports sustainable growth Outcome 3 Education, skills and training maximises opportunities for all Outcome 4 In Argyll and Bute children and young people have the best possible start Outcome 5 People live active, healthier and independent lives Outcome 6 People live in safer and stronger communities The Local Policing Plan will adapt to our changing challenges and demands and as such will be reviewed every 3 months to ensure it accurately reflects the needs of our communities within Argyll and Bute. 1 ABOIP v1 2017.pdf (argyll-bute.gov.uk)
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL National strategic alignment Our strategic outcomes provide a clear route from the Scottish Government’s outcomes and priorities, including the Justice Strategy, through Police Scotland’s strategies, plans and performance reporting, enabling us to demonstrate alignment and clearly articulate our ambitions and progress as demonstrated below. In addition to the Annual Police Plan, Police Scotland’s thirteen local policing divisions produce Local Police Plans which reference distinct priorities, objectives, outcomes and performance measures. They link to wider community planning arrangements, with Local Outcome Improvement Plans taken into account in their development. Scottish Government National Outcomes/Strategic Priorities/Justice Vision SPA/Police Scotland Strategic Outcomes Long Term Policing Strategy: Policing for a Safe, Protected and Resilient Scotland Enabler strategies including People, Fleet, Estates, Public Contact and Engagement, Enabling Policing for the Future, Digital Data and ICT, Cyber, Environmental, Procurement, Violence against Women and Girls, Equality Diversity and Inclusion These are underpinned by plans including the Strategic Workforce Plan, Annual Police Plan, Local Police Plans, Local Outcome Improvement Plans, and Financial Plans.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Police Scotland’s strategic objectives
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Argyll and Bute Local policing delivery context Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Division covers almost 3,000 square miles of land and sea. The area encompasses two local authority areas - West Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute. For Argyll and Bute we have two dedicated Area Commanders who have responsibility for day-to-day policing. These command areas are: South Argyll, Helensburgh, Lomond, Bute and Cowal; and Mid-Argyll, Kintyre, Oban, Lorn and the Islands. Whilst Argyll & Bute has a population of just over 86,000 people, this number increases significantly during the summer months. Argyll and Bute is the chosen destination for thousands of visitors both national and international every year. The area has a vibrant and diverse population and boasts a significant number of small- scale commercial enterprises supporting the local community. Uniformed policing in the division consists of response officers, located at hubs throughout the localities. They are responsible for the day to day policing presence in our communities and are the first point of contact for the majority of our frontline response. The Community Engagement Team (CET) provide specialist support to the Division in respect of crime prevention safer communities and architectural liaison work. The CET ensures the Divert and Deter strands of the Serious Organised Crime Strategy and oversees local imbedding of the UK’s Counter Terrorism Strategy known as Contest. Further to this, the CET leads equality and diversity matters and oversees hate crime investigations within the division. Specialist departments within the division include the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and the Public Protection Unit (PPU), responsible for the investigation of serious crime, sexual crime and domestic abuse.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Our Local Policing Division is supported by a number of national functions including Specialist Crime Division (SCD), Operational Support Division (OSD), Partnerships, Prevention and Community Wellbeing Division (PPCW). We are also supported by our Contact, Command and Control Division who provide frontline advice, support and assistance to the public and police alike. Their highly skilled staff and officers provide 24 hour support to resolve enquiries, prioritise and task incidents and supply our frontline officers with operationally critical information. The introduction of the Contact Assessment Model (CAM) changed the way Police Scotland handles calls from the public. With CAM, each call is assessed and prioritised to ensure that where a police response is required, it will be despatched timeously. Where the matter does not require a policing response, and would be more effectively resolved by another agency, the call will be referred accordingly. This will ensure communities across Argyll and Bute receive support from the most appropriate agency and enable police resources to be deployed more effectively to prevent crime and disorder in your area.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Local priorities
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL We engaged with the public on this Local Policing Plan through our Your Police Survey, which has been running now for a number of years. We also carried out specific engagement from November 2022 through to February 2023, providing an opportunity for you to tell us what matters to you most for policing in Argyll and Bute. This reflected past consultation results and underlines that we continue to focus our efforts on areas of concerns for the communities we serve. The priorities you identified were: Tackling anti-social behaviour Tackling crimes related to drugs and alcohol Visibility, presence and being approachable Traffic related offences Improved community engagement Tackling violence and domestic abuse These priorities are not considered in isolation, for example our response to violence against women and girls includes elements of a number of the priorities identified. While public consultation with the people of Argyll and Bute determines local priorities, national priorities are identified through our National Strategic Assessment, and these also feature in our Annual Police Plan. National priorities include: Protecting vulnerable people Tackling crime in the digital age Working with communities Support for operational policing Together with the local priorities you identified and our shared partnership objectives, we will focus our efforts with equal commitment and determination to deliver positive outcomes for the communities we serve. The resources which inform our priority setting are: Locally we have engaged with our communities to provide results from the Your Police Survey open to everyone in our community of Argyll and Bute.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL We have promoted this through community councils and Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface who represent community groups. Nationally, we have sources such as the Police Scotland National Strategic Assessment (2023/26) providing crime and incident data, Police Scotland Annual Police Plan (2023/24) Argyll and Bute Local Outcome Improvement Plan Community Impact Assessments Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessments Taking the local priorities provided by you, alongside our own Strategic Assessment and partnership objectives, the overall priorities for the Argyll and Bute Local Policing Plan are: Acquisitive Crime Public Protection Road Safety and Road Crime Serious Organised Crime Violence and anti-social behaviour Only by working together can we achieve the shared vision of an Argyll and Bute which has a positive, equitable and inclusive future.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Local objectives and activity Threats to public safety and wellbeing are resolved by a proactive and responsive police service We find ourselves moving at an ever-increasing pace from the physical to the digital world; a move that creates new and complex crime types. It also affects traditional crime, much of which now has a digital element. To protect our communities effectively, we will continue to explore innovative technologies and partnerships. We will continue to be a key contributor to local joint planning and delivery, helping drive a shift to prevention and early intervention across services. Objective: Keep people safe in the physical and digital world Activity: Implement new measures to reduce threat, risk and harm to vulnerable missing people. Key Milestones: Ensure Herbert Protocol continues to be implemented for those living with dementia whether that is at home or in care establishments. Promote the use of the Purple Alert app within communities to enable community awareness to find someone living with dementia if they go missing. Hold focus groups with those living with dementia, younger people and those in the business sector around the use of Dementia Safeguarding Tags. Develop a communications plan to launch the Dementia Safeguarding Tags with those living with dementia, business sector and wider public. Launch the Dementia Safeguarding Tags within communities of Argyll and Bute. Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights:
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL How effective is the implementation of the Herbert Protocol in helping find people living with dementia who go missing? How well have Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division promoted the Purple Alert app? How effective is the Dementia Safeguarding Tag in assisting people living with dementia when they are out in the community? How inclusive were the focus groups held to discuss the Dementia Safeguarding Tags? Activity: Work with partners to reduce the impact of cyber-related harm Key milestones: Deliver cyber-related harm awareness events to those most at risk including vulnerable adults and younger people, alongside partner agencies including Trading Standards. Increase preventative work to highlight dangers of cyber-related harm including use of Youth Engagement Officers to deliver inputs to schools and Community Engagement Officers to deliver inputs to older adults. Work with partners in education to prevent cyber bullying. Work with partners in education to provide parents with tools to keep their young people safe online. Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: How many cyber-related harm awareness events have been held with partner agencies? How effective has the division been in reducing the impact of cyber-related harm? How well are Argyll and West Dunbartonshire doing in providing information to parents to help prevent cyber-bullying? Objective: Design services jointly to tackle complex public safety and wellbeing challenges Activity: Develop partnership approaches to tackle drug related deaths, drug related harm and improve community wellbeing Key milestones:
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Provide crime prevention inputs at local drug recovery cafes to break down barriers with service users. Conduct intelligence led road policing stops and checks to divert those involved in drugs supply across the geography from travelling to supply drugs. Contribute to all drugs related death reviews as part of the Alcohol and Drugs Partnership in Argyll and Bute. Provide drug supply awareness (known as County Lines) inputs to front line partners including social work, education staff, housing and environmental services. Enhance our approach to those exploited by Serious Organised Crime Groups in the drugs supply chain, safeguarding victims and maximising investigative focus on bringing those involved in the coordination of such activity to justice. Reduce drug harm by working in partnership with stakeholders to support individuals at risk whilst targeting those who exploit the vulnerable through drugs supply. Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: How effective have the crime prevention inputs been at drugs recovery cafes as a way to break down barriers between police and service users? Have intelligence-led operations led to an increase in drug-related detections? How well received are our inputs at Drugs Related Death Review meetings chaired by the Alcohol and Drugs Partnership? How many County Lines inputs have been provided to different partners? How effective are Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division at encouraging reporting of drug intelligence within communities? Activity: Implement a refreshed approach to Children and Young People underpinned by a Children’s Rights Approach to policing. Key milestones: Work with child protection partners to mitigate the risks posed to children and young people including online sexual abuse and exploitation. Ensure we meet our corporate parenting responsibility by upholding the rights and securing the wellbeing of Care Experienced Young People.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Create a refreshed Joint Investigative Interview (JIT) suite in Dumbarton Police Station to improve our response to child protection for children who have been abused or neglected. Provide a consistent point of contact for the school community, delivering and participating in inputs and initiatives to provide focus on early and effective intervention through education. Introduce the Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM) to ensure best practice of local authority and police working closely together to provide the best possible to service to children at risk. Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: What work has been carried out with partners to mitigate the risks of online sexual abuse and exploitation, and how effective has this been? Has the JIIT suite in Dumbarton been completed and how effectively is this being used? How many inputs have been provided within education establishments for young people? Has the roll out of SCIM taken place and how successful has this been? Objective: Support policing through proactive prevention Activity: Support the implementation of Distress Brief Intervention throughout Argyll and Bute. Key milestones: Identify officers suitable for training for the launch of Distress Brief Intervention taking an incremental approach to ensure adequate service provision with Level 1 providers. Support officers in completion of both online and face to face training to ensure they are appropriately trained as Level 2 officers. Monitor referrals to Support in Mind Scotland in accordance with training provided for Level 2 referring officers. Promote Distress Brief Intervention as an additional tool to support those with low level distress. Update expected:
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: How many officers have completed the training for Distress Brief Intervention? Is training, awareness and guidance in place for officers and staff within the required timescales? How many referrals have been made that are suitable for engagement with Support in Mind Scotland? How effective are Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division in supporting the implementation of Distress Brief Interventions? Activity: Support the delivery of the National Water Safety Strategy to reduce accidental drownings and water-related suicides. Key milestones: How well are Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division contributing to the Partnership Approach to Water Safety? Have the number of water related incidents seen a change since the start of our educational activity? Is messaging around social media consistent across all partners to get the right messages across? Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: How well are Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division contributing to the Partnership Approach to Water Safety? Have the number of water related incidents seen a change since the start of this educational activity? Is messaging around social media consistent across all partners to get the right messages across?
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL The needs of local communities are addressed through effective service delivery To create your Local Police Plan we have engaged and consulted with the public, stakeholders, community representatives and partners including other service providers to ensure we have a shared understanding of the local community and the role of policing within it. We will continue to improve the services we provide as society evolves, embedding accessibility and inclusivity into all that we do. We continue to be able to call upon additional operational support and specialist services to assist with incidents and investigations, large planned and unplanned events, and other situations where these resources are needed ensuring our focus remains on the needs of the local community. Objective: Understand our communities and deliver the right mix of services to meet their needs Activity: Tackle residential and commercial housebreakings and other forms of acquisitive crime through prevention measures Key milestones: Deliver preventative messages and mediums to provide wide ranging education to all sections of our community including those who may not yet have reliable internet services. Provide inputs with elderly communities on fraud prevention and increase the capability of “cared for at home” network to educate those who may be housebound for the purpose of preventing frauds. Strengthen local partnerships making use of technologies, including ‘Call Blockers’ to reduce the likelihood of fraud. Deliver a programme of events with the business communities and financial institutions to raise awareness, encourage target hardening, target criminality and protect those vulnerable to acquisitive crime. Continue to work with Argyll and Bute Council sharing information where possible and jointly promoting campaigns such as Shut out Scammers.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: How are different platforms being used to push out education and prevention messages? How effective are prevention messages to differing age groups within our communities? How many funding applications have had success? How effective are the partnerships in Argyll and Bute in preventing frauds and other acquisitive crimes? How many referrals have been made? Objective: Support our communities through a blend of local and national expertise Activity: Develop a robust process to tackle anti-social behaviour including both indoor and outdoor violence Key milestones: Draft and implement a revised Information Sharing Protocol for ASB in conjunction with Argyll and Bute Council and Registered Social Landlords. Focus priority actions with ASB partners to ensure victims are protected and those responsible are engaged. Implement Summer Safety and Festive Safety Plans in relation to the night time economy and licensed premises in conjunction with partners in Argyll and Bute and licensees. Increase the number of trained Keep Safe Places present throughout Argyll and Bute to assist in tackling hate crime and supporting vulnerable people to live independently within our communities. Improve our information sharing on youth related issues with partner agencies and the School Community, identifying and focussing on young people in particular who are displaying behavioural difficulties, who are offending or at risk of offending in the school or in the wider community. Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights:
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Is our Information Sharing Protocol regarding ASB up to date and fit for purpose? How effective are our multi-agency ASB meetings at protecting victims? How many monitored licensed premises do we have in Argyll? How have the number of Keep Safe places changed in Argyll? How effective is Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division at tackling violent crime? Activity: Improve and encourage reporting of domestic abuse throughout all communities and target perpetrators Key milestones: Ensure domestic abuse investigations are progressed in accordance with Police Scotland’s forthcoming Violence Against Women and Girls strategy. Provide inputs from specialist departments to frontline officers who routinely attend domestic incidents. Support local and national domestic abuse campaign material through social media, officers promoting at community councils and display of posters. Support businesses in our local communities to receive Domestic Abuse awareness training through Medics against Violence (MAV). Enhance local focus for domestic incidents through Multi Agency Tasking and Coordinating (MATAC) by proactively targeting domestic abuse offenders at a local level, supported by national specialise expertise and alignment with Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC). Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: How effective is Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division at keeping victims of domestic abuse safe, and encouraging them to report incidents? How supported do our response officers feel when dealing with domestic abuse incidents? How is our support for local and national campaigns received? How many businesses have we engaged with to encourage sign up to the Medics against Violence inputs? Objective: Support the changing nature of communities
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Activity: Through intelligence led policing and proactive engagement with all road uses, reduce death and serious injury on Argyll and Bute’s road network. Key milestones: Deliver a calendar of campaign activity, in partnership with key stakeholders, to improve driver attitudes/behaviour and reduce injury on the road network throughout Argyll and Bute. Work with GPs and social work departments to ensure those suitable for DVLA assessments for retaining driving licences are supported by partner agencies. Make our roads safer by positively influencing driver, cyclist, pedestrian and horse rider behaviour through high visibility patrolling by specialist Roads Policing officers and use of Operation Close Pass and Lose the Blinkers. Carry out high visibility speed detection in local communities at locations of most concern. Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: How effective are Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division’s activities in improving road safety in Argyll and Bute? How well is the division doing in encouraging referrals to DVLA where someone may not be suitable to continue driving? How well received have Operation Close Pass and Lose the Blinkers been in promoting road safety? Have road deaths and serious injuries been reduced in Argyll and Bute? The public, communities and partners are engaged, involved and have confidence in policing Our values are at the heart of everything we do. Our human rights based approach to policing along with ethical and privacy considerations are of the utmost importance to the service we provide. The communities we serve should feel confident that we
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL will always police in a way that is fully underpinned by our values of fairness, integrity, respect and human rights. The safety and wellbeing of the people we serve are enhanced by providing services that work efficiently. We will listen and seek to understand the changing needs of diverse communities, bringing both professionalism and empathy to our interactions making changes to our services when required. Engaging with people strengthens relevance, responsiveness and accountability and builds trust. We will improve and refocus our engagement activities where these are not reaching diverse communities and are not representative of the society we serve. Objective: Embed the ethical and privacy considerations that are integral to policing and protection into every aspect of the service Activity: Enable and support effective engagement and communication with the public, including promotion of our Local Police Plan Key Milestones: Ensure Your Police Survey is accessible for all including those who do not have access to electronic means. Utilise forms of communication including Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Alerts, Rural Watch, local newspapers and community newsletters to ensure effective engagement for those who do not engage directly with Police. Carry out engagement events with our local communities, paying particular attention to seldom heard groups who might not engage digitally with Police Scotland. Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: How well are we engaging with the public in continual dialogue to ensure effective and inclusive input to the Local Police Plan?
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Objective: Protect the public and promote wellbeing across Scotland by providing services that are relevant, accessible and effective Activity: Promote and improve rural communities and environmental wellbeing so that people can flourish and feel safe. Key milestones: Continue to lead on the Divisional Partnership against Rural Crime group ensuring all key partners are involved and included. Raise awareness of livestock worrying offences and coordinate local campaigns focusing on consequential outcomes and publicise successful prosecutions. Build local and national intelligence profiles of those involved in rural theft through use of technologies. Increase use of Rural Watch to detect and intercept suspect vehicles. Raise awareness of up to date security methods and produces and share proven prevention tactics and techniques to make fuel more difficult to steal from rural locations. Support equestrians to have safe and responsible access to the countryside and promote equine road safety. Improve prevention and detection of wildlife crimes. Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: How well supported do those in the rural communities feel by Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division? How effective has the livestock worrying campaigns been in preventing livestock attacks? What have we done to build local intelligence profiles? How many members are signed up to Rural Watch and how well used is this platform been in raising awareness of rural crime? How well are we promoting up to date security methods through letters to victims of rural crime and proactively on social media? How well have we supported the equine community to be safe on the roads? How has the prevention and detection of wildlife crime changed?
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Objective: Work with local groups and public, third sector and private sector organisations to support our communities Activity: Engage the third sector through Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface (Argyll TSI) and statutory partners to develop an appropriate information service signposting those in our communities to support for mental health, relationships and addictions. Key milestones: Support Argyll TSI and Statutory Living Well Networks to develop a community directory able to be accessed by all. Work with Argyll TSI and Statutory Living Well Networks to develop a frontline services support card that can be utilised by local Police Scotland officers, Scottish Ambulance Service and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and passed to those who may wish to self-prescribe to local support. Ensure once these support cards are developed that they are made available to those within custody settings for anyone coming through Custody centres throughout Argyll and Bute. Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: How well have we supported Argyll TSI in their development of the Community Directory? How successful are Argyll and West Dunbartonshire at signposting people to support services? Do we have support cards in every custody setting in Argyll and Bute and how well have we supported their use? Activity: Engage with third sector groups and partners in Argyll and Bute Council to support refugees, including those displaced by the conflict in Ukraine Key milestones: Participate in community planning to ensure that displaced people have a distinct route to accommodation, support and care. Work with third sector groups to raise awareness of Police Scotland and the support services we provide amongst refugees
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Expand the Keep Safe initiative to be inclusive for refugees to use and access. . Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: Does qualitative feedback from third sector refugee groups indicate that refugees feel supported by Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division? How many community events have we attended supporting refugees? How well have we promoted the Keep Safe Initiative to be inclusive for refugees?
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Our people are supported through a positive working environment, enabling them to service the public The safety and wellbeing of our officers and staff are at the heart of Police Scotland’s commitments. The challenges for policing are significant and the part policing plays in daily life will become ever more important as Society faces huge challenges. Policing is also coming under increasing scrutiny and pressure in relation to our actions. We will create the environment for our staff to be able to work effectively and equip them to make decisions, ensuring they are trusted and empowered to do so. Objective: Prioritise wellbeing and keep our people safe, well equipped and protected Activity: Enhance our communication throughout Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Policing Division to focus on our people, ensuring they have a strong identity. Key milestones: Engage with staff and officers across Argyll and Bute to develop a local communication strategy that fits their needs. Produce a monthly divisional bulletin that is people focussed and celebrates achievements of officers and staff through a person centred approach. Ensure enhanced local representation from Scottish Police Federation to ensure we are listening to concerns raised by our people and that their views are acted on. Continue to develop and monitor responses to the staff survey and ensure that our responses are visible to our officers. Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: How has local communication evolved to suit the requirements of officers and staff? How well is our bulletin being received by frontline officers and staff at addressing the items they wanted to be included? What local footprint do we have for local divisional federation representatives at all ranks?
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL What progress have we made since the latest staff survey in supporting the needs of our people? Objective: Support our people to be confident leaders, innovative, active contributors and influencers Activity: Establishment of Divisional Improvement Team to ensure local officers are well connected and supported. Key milestones: Increase our capability for Specially Trained Officers (Taser deployments) for all communities throughout Argyll and Bute providing a safe geographical coverage. Continue to promote wellbeing champions and access to support services such as Police Treatment Centres, occupational health and Employee Assistance Programme. Promote Your Safety Matters for all officers and staff in Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division. Establish Staff led improvement group to ensure all officers and staff are listened to and that change is driven from the grassroots of our service. Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: How many officers are Taser-trained, and what is our spread of Taser-trained officers throughout Argyll and Bute? How well are our officers being supported in accessing support services and are these being well used? Are we promoting Your Safety Matters in a meaningful way? How has our staff-led improvement group led to change in Argyll and Bute? Activity: Support delivery of national and bespoke training throughout Argyll and Bute for Constables, Sergeants and Inspectors. Key milestones: Support officers through lateral and vertical development by identifying those suitable for local and national training.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Develop and support our probationary constables and sergeants through a structured continuous professional development programme. Ensure a sustainable recruitment model promoting “live local, work local” for more rural communities. Ensure delivery of Police Incident Officer Training to all ranks within rural postings to improve officer awareness of the requirements of Police Incident Officer. Enhance support to first line managers through creation of a supervisory toolkit relevant to Argyll and Bute. Coordinate awareness inputs to all officers and staff of access to partnership support such as HM Coastguard. Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: Do we have a well-structured plan in place to support probationers and newly promoted sergeants to ensure their needs are met? In what ways have we supported the ‘live local, work local’ recruitment drive? Is our local Police Incident Officer training being well received at constable and sergeant rank in rural stations? Is the supervisory toolkit fit for purposes and being well used, how are we ensuring feedback and regular updates? How well are we supporting our officers and staff not only through promotion, but through personal development at a lateral level? Objective: Support our people to identify with and demonstrate Police Scotland values and have a strong sense of belonging Activity: Develop and implement divisional people plans to support the implementation of the People and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategies. Key milestones: Review and evaluate existing approach Support officers through lateral and vertical development by identifying those suitable for both local and national training. Develop and support our probationary constables and sergeants through a structured continuous professional development programme.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Make progress towards ensuring that our workforce is representative of the communities it serves and undertake positive action recruitment with under- represented communities. Enhance support to first line managers through creation of a supervisory toolkit relevant to Argyll and Bute. Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: How does Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division proactively promote and support equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives? Do our people feel like they are being developed in accordance with their ambitions? How well are we at supporting positive action recruitment? Is the supervisory toolkit fit for purposes and being well used, how are we ensuring feedback and regular updates?
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Police Scotland is sustainable, adaptable and prepared for future challenges Ongoing political, technological, economic and societal changes as well as unforeseeable emergencies on a local and global scale require the police service to adapt and respond to future challenges in order to maximise the benefits of future opportunities. This includes working to reduce the impact of our activity, estates and fleet on the environment. Police Scotland aims to make a significant contribution to the Scottish Government’s 2040 carbon neutral target and 2045 zero greenhouse gas emissions target. Everyone has a role to play in improving financial sustainability, making efficient use of resources and eliminating waste to deliver best value. Procurement of and demand for goods and services will remain under scrutiny, ensuring resources are used in the most efficient way possible to meet the greatest need. Objective: Use innovative approaches to accelerate our capacity and capability for effective service delivery Activity: Deliver a sustainable and revised policing model for Argyll and Bute that better serves our communities and enables our Officers and staff to have enhanced capacity and capability for rural policing. Key milestones: Establish a methodology and evidence base to deliver a revised policing model for rural and remote policing areas. Link to and support the work of the National Short Life Working Group on Rural and Remote Policing other work-streams such as Recruitment, Retention, Promotion and Allowances. Maximise staff welfare and wellbeing in the design of any new model. Provide an evidence base for future Workforce Planning submissions. Deliver a revised inspector model for rural policing providing better access for incident oversight and management. Work with Police Scotland estates to provide improved accommodation for rural officers. Update expected:
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: What is our evidence base for a revised policing model for rural and remote policing? How well is our connectivity from local to national in terms of the Rural and Remote Working groups? How sustainable is our policing model for Argyll and Bute? Does our policing model for Argyll and Bute allow us to adapt to seasonal variations in incidents? Does our revised inspector model provide better support for our people to ensure effective service delivery in rural communities? Are our estates within Argyll and Bute fit for purpose? Objective: Commit to making a positive impact through outstanding environmental sustainability Activity: Develop and implement innovative and sustainable methods to deliver a modern policing service in Argyll and Bute. Key milestones: Identify training and funding for cycling equipment for our officers. Better utilise pedal cycles for officers in smaller villages to provide visibility and approachability Continue to support the roll out of electric vehicles. Foster biological diversity, and improve wellbeing of staff by establishing green space for social, recreation and relaxation activities. Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: How many cycle trained officers do we have in Argyll and Bute? How accessible are alternative transport methods for officers carrying out high visibility patrols and community engagement? Are electric vehicles being utilised within Argyll and Bute and what is the footprint of vehicle availability across our hubs. How many of our offices have access to wellbeing gardens?
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Objective: Support operational policing through the appropriate digital tools and delivery of best value Activity: Support the implementation of the digital data and ICT strategy including Mobile Working, national Core Operating System and Digital Evidence Sharing Capability Key milestones: Support the training of officers in receiving Mobile Devices for notebook purposes. Support the development of the national Core Operating System (COS) by ensuring local officers are able to use the system effectively and this is quality controlled. Update expected: Y1-3 Quarterly Performance measures and insights: How well are Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Policing Division doing to roll out the use of mobile devices to operational officers? What local training and awareness is available to support officers in using the COS systems.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Governance and performance Policing by consent is the bedrock of our approach. Public trust and confidence can only be maintained through the legitimacy engendered by effective governance, transparency and accountability. Our Performance Framework links to our local and national plans enabling monitoring and measurement of progress on our priorities for policing and strategic outcomes. Key to delivering excellence in service provision is working collaboratively to support the Community Planning Partnership and the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. Our Local Police Plan reflects the priorities that local communities, businesses and organisations have told us matter most to them. We will continue to work with our communities and partners to listen to concerns and ensure we respond effectively to emerging issues. An overview of divisional performance against our strategic outcomes and shared objectives is provided by the Divisional Commander at the Argyll and Bute Community Services Committee on a quarterly basis. The performance reports are a matter of public record and are stored on the Argyll and Councils Website. 2 Local Area Commanders regularly liaise with and provide updates to the community and elected representatives at various forums and, to complement this, Community Policing officers provide local policing ward updates to community councils and residents’ groups. 2 Browse meetings - Community Services Committee - Argyll and Bute Council (argyll-bute.gov.uk)
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Equality, diversity and inclusion Our work is underpinned by our commitment to equality and diversity, both in our dealings with the public we serve and our own staff. We promote the core policing values of human rights, integrity, fairness, and respect within our organisation and the communities we police. We recognise that effective consent-based policing must reflect the needs and expectations of the individuals and local communities we serve. Our aim is to ensure that our service is fair, consistent and transparent and that we focus on our key objective of protecting the most vulnerable in our society. The Code of Ethics for policing in Scotland sets out the standards of behaviour expected of all staff. It encapsulates Police Scotland’s core values and statutory obligations under the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012. The Code sets out both what the public can expect from us and what we should expect from each other. The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) Equality Outcomes sets out their commitment to not only comply with equality legislation, but to ensure that the implementation of their equality actions positively contributes to a fairer society through advancing equality and good relations in all that we do. We are committed to developing and promoting best practice in the refresh of our Equality outcomes for 2022. These can be found along with our commitment and duties to equality, diversity & inclusion at: https://www.scotland.police.uk/about- us/how-we-do-it/strategic-planning/policing-together-equality-diversity-and-inclusion- strategy/ or via the QR code:
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL This plan has been subject to an Equalities and Human Rights Impact Assessment (EqHRIA) in compliance with the Scottish Public Sector Equality Duty. Separate EqHRIAs will be undertaken for the activities described in this plan as required. Engaging with us Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division Dumbarton Police Station Stirling Road Dumbarton G82 3PT We are here to help Dial 999 for an emergency that requires urgent police attention. For non-emergency contact call the 24- hour non-emergency contact centre on 101. If you have information about a crime in your area and wish to provide it anonymously, call Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111. If you have any concerns or issues you wish to discuss, you can contact your local Community Policing Team by phoning 101. For more detailed information about your local Community Policing team and other services that Police Scotland provides, please visit our website at www.scotland.police.uk If you would like this information in an alternative format or language, please phone us on 101 to discuss your needs. Service users who are deaf or have a hearing impairment can contact Police Scotland via Next Generation Text (NGT) on 18001, 101 for non-emergency, or 18000 in an emergency. Meaningful and effective engagement involves genuine dialogue, respect, integrity, transparency and accountability. It provides an opportunity for people to shape our services and influence decisions made. Insight from effective engagement helps
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL identify practical solutions and determine changes required to meet the needs of the communities we serve. Police Scotland is committed to continuous improvement in all that we do. If you have something to tell us about our service, please contact us at: https://www.scotland.police.uk/contact-us/ Further information about our wider engagement can be found in our consultation and engagement hub at: https://consult.scotland.police.uk/ Police Scotland has a number of active social media channels that provide a range of information and insight into policing, both nationally and in your local area. A full list of our social media accounts can be found on our website. Our local channels can be found at: Twitter: Argyll and Bute Police Facebook: Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division Please note that our social media channels are not monitored 24/7 and should not be used for reporting crime. Please dial 999 in an emergency, and 101 in a non- emergency situation. Inclusive and accessible engagement. We aim to embed accessibility and inclusivity into our services to make them work for everyone. This Local Police Plan was subject to an Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment (EqHRIA). A summary of the EqHRIA has been published alongside this document. This Local Police Plan can be made available in various alternative formats. For more information, please contact us via our online form: https://www.scotland.police.uk/contact-us/. Deaf, deafened, hard of hearing or speech-impaired callers can contact us via Text Relay on 18001101.