Police combine forces in Stirling and Clackmannanshire

Faye Thomson • Published 11 Aug 2010 11:19 5 Comments

In a bid to cut management costs Central Scotland Police are combining two area units under the leadership of one superintendent.

Stirling and Clackmannanshire Area Commands are to be amalgamated, with Clackmannanshire's Area Commander, Superintendent Alan Douglas, pictured above, taking responsibility for policing in both areas.

Current Stirling Area Commander, Superintendent Grahame Bye, will take up a post in Crime and Specialist Operations.

The Falkirk Area Command, under the leadership of Superintendent Robbie McGregor, will remain.

The new combined Area Command, likely to be based in Stirling, will stretch from Muckhart in the east to Dunblane in the west.

Superintendent Douglas, who joined Central Scotland Police 25 years ago, took charge of all operational policing within Clackmannanshire earlier this year. During his service he has fulfilled a number of operational and corporate roles.

Despite shrinking a top tier in the Central Police Force, Janet Cadenhead, Leader of Clackmannanshire Council has been given an assurance that local front line policing will not be affected.

She told the Advertiser, "I asked for and was given reassurances from Superintendent Douglas that policing on the ground would not be affected by the combining of the Area Command Units in Clackmannanshire and Stirling.

"I also sought assurance that Clackmannanshire would not become the poor relation in this new set-up and that the police representative in the Alloa office would be a known figure that local groups and the community in the county could relate to - I got that assurance."

Mrs Cadenhead added, "We will be watching very carefully what happens."

Assistant Chief Constable Gordon Samson said, "Having due regard to the impending financial pressures we face, we have taken the opportunity to revise the force management structure. This means the force will have two area commanders - one for Stirling and Clackmannanshire and one for Falkirk - instead of three.

"Both will cover areas very similar in size in terms of demand, staff numbers and population instead."

He added, "Such reviews of senior management are regularly conducted and are essential to reduce management costs to ensure we protect front line resources and service delivery."

However, Councillor Gary Womersley, the council's opposition SNP leader is still seeking assurances that the move will not affect police services in the county.

He told the Advertiser, "I think it is obvious that Central Scotland Police need to look at ways of rationalising services but I can see how any residents of Clackmannanshire might be concerned by the Area Command units amalgamating. I have already spoken extensively to senior officers and have been given the assurance that there will be no diminution of front line services.

"I will be speaking further to Central Scotland Police to affirm the necessary reassurances that the people of Clackmannanshire are looking for."

Gordon Samson explained, "This is the most effective way we can deliver services to the public and those partners with whom we work closely, within impending budget constraints.

"This amended structure is not dissimilar to one which operated in-force several years ago and I am confident that with due recognition of the existent local authorities there will be an equity of service delivery across the force.

"With front line resources remaining unaltered and at their highest levels that they have ever been, particularly within Community Policing, service delivery will be virtually unaltered."

The Clackmannanshire Area Command, which has a population of 48,000, is currently overseen by the Superintendent, a Chief Inspector and two Community Inspectors. There are three main police stations located in Alloa, Tullibody and Tillicoultry, serving communities from Dollar and Muckhart in the east to Menstrie in the west.

The Clackmannanshire community policing team, led by the Area Command management tackle a wide range of issues and work closely with the local community through the Police and Communities Together (PACT).

The Stirling Area Command, presently headed by Superintendent Bye, consists of two smaller sub-areas - one covering Stirling and the Eastern Villages around Bannockburn, the second based at Dunblane covering the western side of the area.

The Superintendent is supported by two Chief Inspectors who oversee Community Inspectors and Community Policing Teams.

The force has undergone a series of reviews and restructuring since Chief Constable Kevin Smith took up the post in 2008 in order to make it more efficient.

The process of restructuring will continue to take place over the coming months and a small dedicated team has been brought together to help implement the changes.

The Assistant Chief Constable added, "We are facing a challenging time ahead and we want to ensure that Central Scotland Police is fit to meet these challenges while providing the same high service which the public expects from us."

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• 

  Kevin
  Unregistered User
  Aug 11, 19:35
  Report comment

  want to save money, stop arresting people for cannabis, it will be legal soon anyway. legal cannabis means hard drug use falls dramatically, it costs on average 10,500 pounds to arrest and proesecute and punish ONE person for cannabis, yea geat over 10k for a 75 pound fine lol, does anyone see any logic at all in this...i sure dont...cannabis is a fantastic exit drug, methadone is often WORSE that heroin...how many babies have died because they got their hands on their parents methadone. !!!...i can see me getting flack for this but i seriously urge you to go research the facts. its only illegal because of big business, the pharma companies cant patent it so no profit, oil would lose billions, cars were origianlly meant to run on Hentry Fords bio fuels (ethanol), the model T was made from hemp too, the petrochemical industry would suffer too, YET we can get all these products and more from hemp, over 55,000 products, in the 1800s most medicines were cannabis based and many many products too......Kevin LCA
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

• 

  Alistair
  Unregistered User
  Aug 14, 11:42
  Report comment

  Central Scotland Police are one of the most profligate forces in Scotland, so it's about time they began "Rationalising" their service. maybe they could start by ensuring that no-one is promoted within 5/10 years of retirement!! I mean, what's the point of promoting someone on to a higher salary, only for them to 'retire' within months on a 2/3rds of salary pension + huge lump sum payment?
  
  They could also take a look at those police officers who haven't spent a day on frontline duties for decades, preferring instead to work in training or computing ..... get them out on the beat to fulfil the role they (allegedly) joined the police for, employ more (not less) civilians to cover these posts, scrap the antiquated and superfluous ranks of Chief Inspector & Chief Superintendent, stop buying mercs and beemers ... there are equally reliable and cheaper alternative cars nowadays.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

• 

  Kevin
  Unregistered User
  Aug 14, 22:50
  Report comment

  nice one Alistair, i couldnt agree more mate...plus get rid of laws that dont make sense and laws that are unbelievably counter productive. prohibition causes far far more problems than it solves by the way...but back to your point yes it is disgusting promoting someone a few years off retirement so they milk the system...2/3rds and a lump sum, my god, how much does this add up to i wonder, enough to hire goodness knows how many Drs etc
  
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• 

  hatefigure
  Unregistered User
  Aug 29, 15:52
  Report comment

  do not promote anyone within 5 to 10 years of retirement .i have never heard so much nonsense .these are the officers with the most experience .they have probably done there time walking the beat .a stint in the c.i.d. and a spell in the drug squad surely they are more worthy of a promotion than someone with less experience .i think the above reader has some issues.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

• 

  Kevin
  Unregistered User
  Sep 2, 15:13
  Report comment

  issues?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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