Depute Chief Executive : Chris McAleavey

Safer Communities

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15September 2015

Mr Derek Penman QPM

HM Inspector of Constabulary

1st Floor

St Andrew House

Regent Road

EDINBURGH

EH1 3DG

Dear Mr Penman

HMICS INDEPENDENT ASSURANCE REVIEW OF POLICE CALL HANDLING

Thank you for your letter dated 31 July 2015 addressed to the Council’s Chief Executive, Fiona Lees regarding your independent review of police call-handling. This matter was considered by the Council’s Police and Fire and Rescue Committee at its meeting on 9 September 2015 and I am pleased to now provide this response on behalf of the Council and which reflects comments made by Committee Members.

In the course of answering the specific questions set out in your letter of 31 July 2015, Committee Members raised a number supplementary comments and these are also provided for your attention and consideration.

The timing of the Committee meeting meant that Members had the opportunity to reflect on the findings contained within the Interim Report from your Independent Assurance Review. Members welcomed the recommendations and the Justice Minister’s related announcement on 3 September 2015 that the Scottish Government will ensure that Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority act immediately to implement the recommendations. TheCommittee noted the allocation of new funding of £1.4m to enable Police Scotland to accelerate recruitment of 70 to 75 call handling staff to consolidate service centre operations, along with additional area control room staff, to ensure that the combined North Area Control Room in Dundee is fully operational before the closure of the Aberdeen and Inverness control rooms.

Turning now to the specific questions contained within your letter of 31 July 2015, the comments made by Committee Members are set out against each below. In supplement to this, and by way of general comment, Members did make the point that they considered the questions to be limited in terms of facilitating and encouraging a more considered response.

1.Have elected representatives raised any issues with police call handling from the public in your Council Area?

Many of the issues raised by members of the public with elected members have been anecdotal and have, therefore, not constituted a significant body of opinion.

Any matters that have been raised have been addressedlocally and the Council has been encouraged by the response from Police Scotland(or, more accurately, its predecessor Strathclyde Police)to such matters. For example, following concerns raised by local residents in the Kilmarnock North area, arrangements were made for local Elected Members and community representatives to visit the call handling facility that covers East Ayrshire to see at first hand the systems and processes that underpin the call-handling service. This was very well received by the local community and helped local people gain a better understanding of the volume and diversity of calls recorded.

The Council’s Police and Fire and Rescue Committee, which has very recently been established, intend to undertake a further visit to the call-handling facility as part of its awareness and development programme for Members which the Local Divisional Commander has agreed to facilitate.

2.What are the main issues which have been raised?

As the matters that have been raised with Elected Members have been anecdotal in nature, it is difficult to be precise about the main issues. However, Committee Members did note that the reliance on centralisedcall centres could lead to loss of local knowledge. For an area that has a large rural geography, as well as urban communities, this can be an important factor in ensuring effective and timeous emergency response.

3.Has police call handling (of 999 and 101 calls) been raised within your local scrutiny and Engagement Committee?

In respect of 999and 101 calls, the main issue to have been raised with Elected Members is the cost of calls made to the 101 number. Whilst this Council is aware that a flat rate of 15p per call applies to both landlines and mobile networks, there is a perception that such calls can, in fact, cost more and people will not use it on that basis. This is perhaps a matter that could be addressed by enhanced promotion of the 101 service.

4.What issues were raised with Police Scotland and how were these addressed?

As above.

I hope this information is helpful and I look forward to the publication of the final report on conclusion of your Independent Review.

Yours sincerely

Chris McAleavey

Depute Chief Executive (Safer Communities)