UNISON reaction to DCC Neil Richardson’s statement to Scottish Parliament

UNISON is calling on DCC Neil Richardson to meet with them to discuss his plans for further job cuts after his words at the Justice Committee of 1st December, wherein he stated it would be wrong of him to say there won’t be further reduction in staff.

George McIrvine, UNISON Police Staff Scotland branch secretary said: ”They have no real strategy as to how they are going to achieve this years savings never mind the next 11 years and that's quite apparent with the current £25 million blackhole. It's not best value for the public purse and it's not what the rank and file officers signed up to do.

We now see a civilian staff workforce who have young family, rent, mortgages and debt; they therefore need to work for the foreseeable future. Redundancy is no longer an option to the majority.

Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority will either have to look at making cuts elsewhere to their budget instead of focussing it all on a small percentage of the civilian staff workforce or finally admit they cannot achieve the Scottish Governments efficiency savings. Chief Constables in England & Wales have been spoken out about such unrealistic goals and budget cuts, why can't Scottish senior police officers do the same?”

UNISON calls on Police Scotland to implement all recommendations in HMICS Call Handling Final Report

Tue 10 November 2015

UNISON has welcomed the HMICS Independent Assurance Review: Police Scotland – Call Handling Final Report published today (10 Nov) and calls on Police Scotland to implement all its recommendations.  

HMICS has taken into account the high level of pressure that UNISON police staff members work under in the Contact, Command and Control (C3) division of Police Scotland. We hope this report shapes the C3 direction with greater accountability and assurances for the public.

UNISON did all it could to assist with this report. We note the report states, ‘UNISON provided us with details of key areas of concern and supporting evidence. These concerns reflect both Scottish Police Federation and Association of Scottish Police Superintendants views’. 
UNISON will work with the new police chief constable to ensure all recommendations are implemented.

Gerry Crawley, UNISON Regional Organiser for police staff said, "UNISON Police staff members have been highlighting problems inherent in the Contact, Command and Control strategic direction. We are pleased that our concerns have been listened to and have been reflected in this report. The report recommendations are vital to ensure our members wellbeing in this high pressure environment that has been under such scrutiny recently. We call on Police Scotland to implement the recommendations"

George McIrvine, Branch Secretary of UNISON Police Staff Scotland branch said,
"I welcome this report not least because it confirms the hard work that UNISON members do. The vast majority of all 999 emergency calls are answered within 10 seconds and handled properly.

"I look forward to working with the new chief constable to ensure these recommendations are implemented in full. It is crucial that he commits to work with key stakeholders, such as UNISON, so we can work together to ensure the public get the high quality service UNISON members are determined to provide."

END

UNISON represents staff working in Contact, Command and Control Centres

UNISON calls for halt to Police Scotland control centre closures

Date: Saturday 31 October 2015

UNISON Scotland has pledged full support for a resolution at the Scottish Labour conference today (Saturday 31 October) which demands a halt to the continued closures of local Control Room / Service Centres across Scotland. 

The resolution, tabled by Aberdeen Central Labour Party at the conference in Perth, highlights the ongoing crisis in Police Scotland's Control Rooms /Service Centres. We expect the Scottish Government's HMICS report to be published in the near future.

In todays debate, George McIrvine, Secretary of UNISON Police Staff Scotland branch, will call for a halt to the 'strategic direction' of Police Scotland closing local services. At the labour conference George McIrvine will say:

"Police Scotland need to step back from their blinkered centralisation plans of control rooms and service centres closures. They must consider a different path involving those who know the job best, the workforce.

The Police Scotland proposal to the Scottish Police Authority two years ago, proposed a staged approach for closing police control rooms. There was no detail on the rationale other than cost savings. And there is little proof that these changes have provided a better service to the public.

This has resulted in a workforce who are under continued pressure with an increased workload and - as the recent staff survey showed - morale at its lowest ever.

Problems have arisen, and the tragic loss of life in the widely reported M9 incident, led to the Scottish Government call for HMICS to review the changes and allocate another £1.4 million to iron out the problems.

Even with a damning interim report by HMICS, Police Scotland and the Authority are continuing with the imminent closure of service centres in Dundee and Aberdeen as well as the Control Room in Aberdeen and Inverness. UNISON Police Staff Scotland continues to oppose this direction. We welcome the debate today and that we are not alone in our opposition to the plan to close and centralise services."

UNISON fully supports the call for Scottish Labour to commit to develop and sustain an effective local network of emergency control room services across Scotland and in the community's in which they should serve. In the meantime UNISON will continue to support all its members who are subect to these changes.

ends

Scottish Police Authority, Police Scotland Opinion Survey - UNISON Statement

The release today (2 October) of the long awaited Staff Survey is a golden opportunity for the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland to genuinely engage with police support staff and for both organisations to genuinely commit to responding and acting on the findings of this staff survey.

The findings of the survey are not a surprise‎ to UNISON and the UNISON members who work in the service. The fact that over 50% of staff responded demonstrates the massive interest employees have in getting their opinions and voices heard.

George McIrvine, UNISON Police Staff Branch Secretary said: "UNISON has said for a long time that there are major issues that need addressing. The fact that only 9% of staff believe that genuine engagement will result from the survey is deeply concerning. ‎33% of staff indicating that they intended leaving the organisation is indicative of a workforce who feel neglected, undervalued and under stress. Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland must act on these outcomes."

End the cuts and rethink Scottish policing, says UNISON

Date: Thursday 10 September 2015 UNISON Scotland police staff will call for the suspension 'all cuts and reforms while we re-think Scottish policing' at a public meeting in Dundee tonight (Thursday, 10 Sept 2015, 7pm).  Shadow justice spokesperson Graeme Pearson MSP is travelling the country speaking to rank and file officers, civilian staff, community groups, victim support staff and others as part of Scottish Labour's wde-ranging Review of Policing which is being held over the next four weeks. Speaking ahead of the meeting, George McIrvine, branch secretary of UNISON police branch said: ‘Scottish Government is cutting Police Scotland too deep and too fast. They are cutting £1.1 billion from police budgets by 2026 while protecting police officers numbers. It’s police civilian staff like control room operators, crime analysts, and criminal justice staff who are losing their jobs.

UNISON Statement on HMICS Independent Assurance Review Police Scotland - Call Handling Interim Report

Thu 3 September 2015

UNISON welcomes the findings of the HMICS Independent Assurance Review Police Scotland - Call Handling Interim Report. 

UNISON has fully engaged in this review and has encouraged police staff to participate as fully as they can. The review found that staff at all levels in the division are ‘strongly committed in often challenging circumstances to providing a good service to the public’. It states that they are ‘committed to doing a good job and demonstrating considerable flexibility in their working practices whilst endeavouring to meet call demand’.

UNISON welcome the strong recommendation that Police Scotland should 'consolidate and stabilise their staffing, systems, procedures and processes prior' to the final reforms of control centres taking place. This makes common sense and we hope Police Scotland, The Scottish Police Authority and The Cabinet Secretary for Justice will adopt. 

We also welcome the recommendation that should it be necessary to retain specific staff beyond 31 March 2016 any voluntary redundancy / early retirement offers should be honoured. 

UNISON repeatedly voiced our concerns about the speed of reform of police control rooms and service centres. Staff who work in this environment fear that the specific deadlines / timescales of the reforms being pushed through would be detrimental to the service they can provide to the public. At very least these reforms cannot continue without taking on the valid concerns of the staff

The proposed efficiency savings of £1.1 billion by 2026 are unachievable, the creation of Police Scotland and how it is structured will not provide 'best value' and the outdated manifesto pledge of maintaining 1000 extra police officers must be reviewed as it is damaging Scottish policing. 

George McIrvine, UNISON police branch secretary said, ‘after 3 years of continued savage cuts to Scottish policing, we have a real worry for the police force over the next 11 years if these cuts continue. We urge the Scottish Government to look at their political targets to artificially maintain 1000 extra police officers and they continue to force through £1.1bn of cuts to policing.

George McIrvine also said ‘we welcome the recommendation that service centres in Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness should be maintained and staffed appropriately, while the final part of the reform to Police Control Rooms and Service Centres are consolidated. We doubt that its possible to close so many of Scotland control centres in the timescales set out without detriment to the service police scotland provide. We call on the Scottish Police Authority and the Scottish Government to adopt all measures in this interim review which go some way to safeguard and preserve the role of Police Staff within Police Scotland’

END 

NOTES
• UNISON represents police staff. We are the biggest trade union in Scotland
• Full copy of the HMICS Independent Assurance Review Police Scotland - Call Handling Interim Report can be read herehttp://www.hmics.org/sites/default/files/publications/
HMICS%20Independent%20Assurance%20Review%2C%20
Police%20Scotland%20Call%20Handling%20-%20
Interim%20Report.pdf

UNISON statement on announcement that Chief Constable Sir Stephen House is to stand down from his post in 3 months time

Thursday 27 August 2015

This announcement is unsurprising. Chief Constable Sir Stephen House was put in an impossible position. The problems which beset Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Board are not down to one individual. They will not be fixed by his departure.

The Scottish government's arbitary political target of maintaining police officer numbers should be ended, as it is leading to the dismantling of our modern police force with thousands of civilian posts being lost. We need  a fundamental review of the long term funding of our police services in Scotland.

George McIrvine, branch secretary of UNISON Police Staff Scotland, said: "I wish Chief Constable Sir Stephen House all the best in whatever he chooses to do in the future. We disagreed on some decisions he made but the problems with Police Scotland are not down to one person. 

"Sir Stephen House was given the impossible task of merging Scottish policing into one police force, while having to meet political targets of 1,000 extra police officers, and at the same time introducing £1.1 billion efficiency savings target. These targets had little to do with good policing.

"Over 1,700 police staff have left their jobs while Police Scotland has been beset with problems. The Scottish Government must now review their manifesto pledge to maintain 1000 extra police officers as it is not working. They must also take a fundamental look at how we properly fund a modern police force in Scotland.

"Sir Stephen House should have publicly called on the Scottish Government to scrap all political targets and called for proper funding of our police service. Maybe now we can have a proper discussion about these issues.”

'Where is 'Your Survey'?' asks UNISON Police Staff Scotland

Date: Wednesday 26 August 2015

UNISON has demanded that Police Scotland publish the results of the Police Staff Survey immediately. This survey is expected to give a true reflection of how police staff and officers feel about working in the new single service. UNISON members are angry that the survey results have been delayed for so long.

Branch secretary George McIrvine backed Scottish Labour’s call to publish the results of the survey which concluded at the end of June.

"It was disappointing that the workforce had to wait two years before the employer finally agreed to conduct a staff survey without having to wait even longer for the findings."

“UNISON police branch worked with Police Scotland to shape the survey and ensure the feedback was relevant and accurate however there has been ‘radio silence’ from them for over 4 weeks. We have consistently asked that they present the findings as soon as possible."

“UNISON is concerned that they are delaying publication because the staff survey is not comfortable reading for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority. The reality is the survey will reflect what hundreds of police civilian staff across Scotland have been telling UNISON. 

"Since the merger to one Scottish police force the workforce are under extreme pressure resulting in low morale, they are concerned about job security and worried about what the future holds for them within Scottish policing.”

END

Notes for editors

• UNISON has the greatest density of union membership in the Police Service of Scotland.
• 'Your Survey' is the name of the internal staff and police officer survey conducted by Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority.

UNISON react angrily to Scottish Government claims that they have maintained 1000 extra police officers

Tuesday 5 May 2015

UNISON Scotland condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the Scottish Government putting out a press release celebrating that they have maintained 17,234 police officers, just hours before the General Election 2015.

UNISON members who work hard to keep our communities safe take a completely different view to this arbitrary statistic being re-released today.

Gerry Crawley, UNISON regional organiser said, ‘Scottish Government Justice Secretary Michael Matheson, fails to mention the fact they are making £1.1bn cuts to the police force in Scotland by 2020 and that 1300 police civilian staff have lost their jobs in recent months.  Meaning more and more police officer are being taken off the streets and are working in the back office covering for our members who have lost their jobs. And police staff do vital jobs to fight crime like finger print officers, intelligence analysts, forensics, scenes of crime officers, photographers, emergency control room staff, mechanics, custody officers, finance controllers and many others. These jobs are being cut.’ 

Gerry continued ‘The 17,234 police officer target is a political statistic from 2007. It is not based on any strategic analysis of the skills we need to build a modern effective force to fight crime. Scottish Government, Justice Secretary Michael Matheson, and the Scottish Police Authority should have issued a press release to say they are reversing their policy to direct all the  £ 1.1bn cuts at skilled police staff as it’s taking the Scottish police service back to the 1970s.’

ENDS
 
Notes to Editor

·         Scottish government press release is here: http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Police-target-maintained-189f.aspx

·         UNISON represents police staff in Scotland who has been subject to significant cuts. Local police stations, local 999 emergency control rooms, local community police desks and other parts of community police services have been closed.  

·         Police Officer numbers in England and Wales have been falling but interestingly so has crime.

·         Scottish Government ministers demand that Police Scotland make £1.1bn cuts by 2020. As police officers are protected (17234 police officers, target set in 2007), it is the police staff who are wholly subject to these £1.1bn cuts. 1300 police staff have lost their jobs so far, undermining all the work done to build a modern police force. It also means that police are stuck in offices doing the work previously done by skilled civilian staff that police officers are not trained to do, or are overpaid to do. This is not best value for money or strategically effective in keeping communities safe.

·         Other documents giving analysis of the Police reform process and UNISON’s campaign for a balanced, modern police force – rather than cutting thousands of police staff jobs – are available on UNISON’s police pages (http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/police/index.html)

Attempt to take over transport police is another ‘polishambles’

#stuc15 The STUC will vigorously oppose Scottish Government plans to absorb the specialist British Transport Police (BTP) into Police Scotland and delegates were dismayed that the announcement of these plans was made without any public consultation.

Supporting an emergency motion from the RMT, George McIrvine of UNISON Scotland’s Police Branch told delegates that although there have been rumours that this merger was on the Scottish Government’s radar over a year ago there has been no acknowledgement of this by Justice Secretary Michael Matheson, the SPA or indeed the Chief Constable.

UNISON Scotland statement on First Minister’s programme for Government

Wed 26 Nov 2014

Mike Kirby, Scottish secretary of UNISON, said ‘UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union and we welcome the First Minister’s programme for government. There was much in Nicola Sturgeon’s statement to commend.

We welcome her commitment to protect public services and to increase NHS funding; her commitment to the living wage and to mitigate the problems of welfare reform; and her commitment to put gender equality and women’s rights at the heart of her government; and to increase childcare.

Review of local government financeUNISON also welcomed the commission to review local government finance but we are disappointed that the council tax freeze will remain in place until 2016. This freeze hits the most vulnerable people, those who need public services the most.

We need a fundamental reform of how we pay for local services. Local government is experiencing the worst of the cuts. It has lost the bulk of the jobs and it is the only sector to get a real cash cut. We can no longer pretend to get better services for less money. We favour a progressive property tax where we all pay our fair share.

UNISON condemns chief constable statement that it is ‘inevitable that more police staff face further jobs cuts next year'

Wed 26 Nov 2014

UNISON, the trade union for police civilian staff, has condemned the statement by the Chief Constable of Police Scotland that more police staff will be made redundant.

George McIrvine, secretary of UNISON police staff Scotland branch said:
"This shows UNISON is right. Civilian police staff are facing big job losses and are the victims of the Scottish Governments policy to maintain police officers while cutting £1.1bn from the police budget.  Both the chief constable and Scottish Justice Secretary are hiding behind the political statement to ‘maintain 17,234 police officers’ to pretend they are meeting the public’s priorities. This means the £1.1bn police cuts will decimate civilian police staff jobs."

George continued:
"We have built a modern balanced Scottish police force of hard working, high skilled civilians who are value for money and work side by side with our police officers to fight crime. Finger print officers, crime scene investigators, anti-fraud officers, intelligence analysis, forensics, legal clerical, custody officers, community safety officers, call centre staff and many more. These people have local knowledge and high technical skills and have reduced crime to its lowest level ever.  The police service will not survive this outdated political pledge, it is death by 1000 officers."

Gerry Crawley UNISON police staff organiser said: 
“The cuts confirmed today will take policing back to the 1970s, which will mean 1970s levels of crime. Civilian police staff are paying the price of the £1.1bn Scottish Government cuts. Frankly it’s the worst gutter politics. Ministers and senior police protecting their own jobs over hard working civilian police staff who actually fight crime on our streets. Just so they can say to the public we are ‘maintaining 1000 extra police officers’. UNISON will not stand by and see our modern police force decimated like this. The public need to recognise that a £1.1bn cut means losing every civilian post in the police force. Which will mean a rise in crime.  It's politicians and top police putting their own job security over public safety.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor

1. Sir Stephen House gave evidence to MSPs yesterday 25 November 2014, along with the new justice secretary, Michael Matheson. Scotland's top police officer has said force support staff face further job cuts next year. Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Stephen House said he was confident of making a target to save £1.1bn by 2026.But he warned the path ahead was "not smooth" and said every area, apart from police officer numbers, would be considered in the drive for savings. See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-30198580

2. UNISON is the biggest trade union in Scotland, and we are the biggest trade union representing police staff

3. Police staff stay in the job longer, specialise and advance in particular areas of work and are better value for public money. A police officer filling in the jobs left by redundant police staff costs the public more and takes an officer off of the street and putting them behind a desk. What’s the sense in that?

Closure of Dumfries police control room is ‘tip of the iceberg’, says UNISON

Tuesday 27 May 2014

UNISON, Scotland's largest union representing police staff, has condemned the closure of Dumfries Police Control Room later this week (Friday) and says communities will suffer as a result.

The move is the first of five planned control room closures announced by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) earlier this year as part of a 'restructure'. The tasks currently performed at the control room - including dealing with emergency and non-emergency calls from the public and dispatching police officers to incidents - will move to Glasgow Service Centre and area control rooms.

George McIrvine, Branch Secretary of UNISON’s Police Staff Scotland Branch, said: 

"A huge amount of local knowledge will be lost and communities will suffer as a result. Now, when a member of the public calls, they will be speaking to a central control centre many miles away. There is understandably a lot of anger in local communities.

UNISON welcomes agreement with Police Scotland which addresses key concerns

UNISON Scotland has agreed to cancel the consultative ballot of police staff on whether to take further industrial action up to and including strike action. The trade union say the outcome of discussions with Police Scotland and the agreement made at the Joint Negotiating Consultative Committee today (17 April 2014) have been welcomed by UNISON members, as they address key concerns previously raised by UNISON.

It has been agreed that police staff:

· will receive better supernummery protection and guarantees around job relocation and job security
· will receive 1 year protection of allowances as well as basic pay
· who have their leave restricted because of the Commonwealth Games will receive an additional one day’s annual leave

STUC slams police control centre cuts

#stuc14 In almost the last throw of the dice on Wednesday afternoon, Congress backed an emergency motion from the Aberdeen Trade Union Council, condemning Police Scotland’s decision to close the Control Centres at Aberdeen, Dumfries, Stirling and Glenrothes, without consultation and with the loss of over 450 jobs. The STUC General Council will formally express its concern to Police Scotland and the Scottish Government.

Lack of openness on police and fire VAT leaves taxpayers with £30 million burden

#stuc14 The FBU and UNISON highlighted that the creation of a centralised Police and Fire Service has meant the Scottish taxpayer footing a bill of approximately £30 million pounds through the loss of VAT exemption – a burden that is unnecessary and unfair and impacts dramatically on both community and emergency worker safety.

The STUC will now call on the Scottish Government to take this up with the Westminster Government.

UNISON Scotland ballot for potential strike action as industrial relations break down with Police Scotland

Friday 21 March 2014

UNISON Scotland are writing to police staff today (21 March 2014) to tell them that trust between Police Scotland and the all staff trade unions have broken down. And that they will be urging members to vote for industrial action when they ballot them later this month.

UNISON Scotland have 3 issues of concern:

The ongoing closures of 4 contact command and control centres which take 999 calls from the public. The first of these proposed closures is Dumfries Force Control and Service Centre which is scheduled to happen by the end of May 2014 with the loss of 34 jobs.

From the 1 April 2014 Police staff are having their redundancy terms reduced

And over 1,700 police staff across the country are having their annual leave restricted due to the Commonwealth Games this summer.

UNISON have been trying to discuss these important issues with Police Scotland for over a year.

George McIrvine, secretary of UNISON police staff scotland branch said:

“Our members across Scotland are telling us loud and clear that enough is enough. Staff are stressed, over worked and under pressure. We will ballot them to gauge their strength of feeling on potential strike action. The employer have given us no choice. They are not providing the unions with answers to reasonable questions which we have consistently raised for many months now.”

Gerry Crawley, UNISON regional officer said

‘Police staff are a hard working, loyal, and experienced. They take pride in keeping communities safe. But this whole episode has made them worried, frightened and angry. The uncertainty of what’s next is demoralising. The Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland need to realise that UNISON members are not prepared to take the brunt of these brutal cuts any longer

‘Scottish Police Authority and the Police Scotland are simply not listening to us. Over 300 jobs are at risk in contact command and control centres. Over 1700 staff are having their lead restricted this has left unions no choice but to consult our members on potential strike action”

ENDS

 

Notes to Editors:

The closure of contact command and control centres which take 999 calls from the public are on going. The proposed closure of Dumfries Force Control and Service Centre is scheduled to happen by the end of May with the loss of 34 jobs. Staff are being told their will be no compulsory redundancies, however the only redeployment options being offered to staff are limited to the central belt over 100 miles away. The future closures of the Stirling, Glenrothes and Aberdeen Centres are being addressed in a manner that causes undue worry and stress for UNISON members with the loss of job security and relocation

As well as these restructures and more in the pipeline that will affect many UNISON members, the Voluntary Redundancy/Early Retirement policy due to come into force on 1 April 2014 contains a new Supernumerary Policy which limits UNISON members to a maximum period of 4 weeks (not the 12 weeks that the policy claims) before losing the entitlement to £10,000 for Voluntary Redundancy or losing the entitlement to 4 Compensatory Added Years for Early Retirement. The Unions argued for a guaranteed job offer but the employer refused this. This new policy will leave our members in a virtual compulsory redundancy situation. This is unacceptable

Finally, over 1,700 Police Staff across the country are having their annual leave restricted due to the Commonwealth Games this summer. UNISON and the other Unions submitted a financial claim for compensation for those colleagues who will have their leave restricted. This claim was submitted last year. The employer has still to address this issue formally with the Trade Unions. The Commonwealth Games are only four months away and our members deserve clarity and an answer to our claim.

UNISON demonstrates against more police cuts

Thu 30 Jan 2014

The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) will officially confirm the closure of Police Force Control Centres in a ‘restructuring’ across Scotland today (Thursday 30 January 2014).

SPA are to close down 5 control centres over 18-24 months. Dumfries and Galloway in April 2014 will be first to go, with a loss of 34 jobs; then Stirling in December 2014; Glenrothes in March 2015; Pitt Street Glasgow in March 2015; Aberdeen in December 2015.

300 jobs are at risk.

Gerry Crawley, UNISON regional officer said:
"We will keep hammering the point that these closures are not about making our communities safe. 

"They are budget driven cuts. Scottish Government is cutting £139 million from police budgets between now and 2017 and £1 billion over 12 years.

"This decision to close control centres puts 300 police staff jobs at risk. These are hard working and loyal staff that bring crucial skills to keeping communities safe and they have huge amount of local knowledge which will all be lost.

"This is just part of the longer term problem. Scottish Government are hiding behind their line that they will keep police numbers. This means police staff will bear the brunt of these cuts even where this may not be the best way forward.

"Cutting jobs does not mean cutting the workload. The tasks still need to be done. More police officers will be back in the police stations rather than on the beat. It is the most expensive option."

George McIrvine UNISON police staff Scotland branch secretary said:
"If these cuts go through, the public need to understand that when they phone 101 they could be speaking to a central control centre hundreds of miles from where they are. This is on the back of the decision to shut or reducing the hours of about 60 of the 214 local police counters. There already is a lot of anger in local communities.

"We will be holding a small demonstration at the board meeting today.

"Police staff will be coming to Glasgow from as far afield as Dumfries and Galloway and Aberdeen to show how angry they are that local people feel less safe and many police families will be in hardship."

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. Police Board Scotland will make the official decision today to close down 5 control centres over 18-24 months - Dumfries and Galloway in April 2014; Stirling in December 2014; Glenrothes in March 2015; Pitt Street Glasgow in March 2015; Aberdeen in December 2015

2. UNISON Scotland police staff will listen to the debate in the public gallery and they will be holding a small demonstration outside Trades Hall, 85 Glassford Street, Glasgow, G1 1UH. UNISON members will be available for interview.

3. Police Scotland have 10 Police Control Centres in Inverness, Stirling, Dundee, Aberdeen, Glenrothers, Edinburgh, Govan, Motherwell, Glasgow Pitt Street, Dumfries and Galloway.

4. Five centres that will remain open are Dundee, Edinburgh, Motherwell, Inverness and Govan Glasgow.

5. Police control and command centres deal with 999 calls and 101 calls, some like Inverness deal with major incidents.

Police to be taken off beat to do admin tasks says police staffs union

Wed 6 November 2013

Police Scotland today announced plans to take police off the beat to do the work of 67 police staff jobs they intend to make redundant. Police Scotland want to abolish the post of police staff legal document officers and instead have the work done by uniformed patrol officers. They will attempt to carry out these extra tasks in addition to dealing with the usual job the public expect of police officers.

About 1/4 of the 67 posts are currently vacant as Police Scotland have allowed staff to take voluntary redundancy in the expectation that they will be abolishing their posts. This has happened before entering into any formal consultation period with staff.

UNISON has obtained a copy of the guidance which is being distributed to officers in Glasgow on how to carry out the various processes involved in the serving of legal documents. This is not simply a case of dropping a letter through a post box but can mean visiting a premise several times to receive the appropriate response and thereafter recording the actions taken. This is a time consuming and administrative burden which patrol officers do not need.

Gerry Crawley, UNISON Scotland regional organiser for police staffs said:

“Police Scotland have freely admitted that this work, the equivalent of 123,000 hours a year, is not disappearing. It will be given out to beat officers who will have to meet deadlines and carry out administration of the citation process which takes them away from their role of keeping people safe.

This is yet another example of Police Scotland making cuts at the expense of service to the public. Proposing to axe legal document staff and giving their work to police officers will have an impact on policing. This isn’t the ‘reduction of duplication’ people were promised; it is slash and burn to meet a budget.”

George McIrvine, Secretary of UNISON Police Staff Scotland commented:

“We were promised blue sky thinking when it came to meeting the budget cuts imposed by the Scottish government. Instead we have policing being taken back to the 1970s, reversing the progress we have made towards a modern police service by sacrificing police staffs to maintain an artificial target of uniformed officers.

It is difficult to see how Police Scotland and the SPA will meet their budget for 2014/2015, if their only response is doing away with police staff posts and giving the work to police officers. This is not best value and will not produce the most effective police service for the people of Scotland.”

For further information contact:George McIrvine, Secretary, UNISON Police Staff Scotland branch, 07842 542 677
Gerry Crawley, UNISON Regional Organiser for police 07958 121 805

Notes to editors: 

1. Proposals are being put to affected police staff across Scotland today which will see 67 posts deleted and work transferred to patrol police officers.

2. The amount of work is calculated by multiplying the number of posts (67) by the amount of hours worked annually in an individual post (1840).

3. Staff in this function have been released on voluntary redundancy / early retirement terms since April 2013.