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COPPERPLATE www.tayside.police.uk
TAYSIDE BOBBY WINS NATIONAL ‘RURAL HERO’ AWARD
A CREDIT TO THE FORCE Chief Constable’s Certificates of Merit were presented to Police Sergeant Alan Pettigrew and Police Sergeant Maggie Pettigrew at the Force’s recent awards ceremony. On the afternoon of Friday, November 20, 2009, an elderly man suffered a heart attack at the A K Bell Library in Perth. Sergeants Alan and Maggie Pettigrew were off duty and at the library with their children when Maggie saw that the man had taken ill and quickly realised that he needed help. She shouted to the library staff to call an ambulance and, as the man’s condition was deteriorating, Maggie began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. She was joined by Alan and they both continued with this for several minutes until the ambulance arrived and then remained on hand to assist the paramedics. The man was taken to hospital, by which time he had regained consciousness. Sadly, despite the efforts of all concerned, he did not respond to treatment and died a few days later in the Coronary Care Unit.
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T A Y S I D E
A Tayside policeman, who has helped hundreds of youngsters gain confidence through learning the sport of angling, has won the prestigious Rural Hero Award at the Scottish Countryside Alliance Awards.
Paramedics confirmed that without the prompt actions of Sergeants Maggie and Alan Pettigrew, the man’s chances of survival were very slim. However, he had been given the best chance of recovery due to the first aid rendered at the scene.
Rural businesses from throughout Scotland were also presented with SCA Awards for excellence in a ceremony at the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, 26 January. The SCA Rural Hero Award, recognising outstanding personal contributions to country life and communities, went to Blairgowrie Constable Grev Humphrey. In his spare time, Grev drives the activities of Angling for Youth Development, a charity which has introduced young people of all backgrounds and abilities to the sport through expert instruction in game, course and sea fishing. Finalists from the Borders to Aberdeenshire and the Highlands and Islands also won SCA awards for producing local food, running village shops and post offices, rural enterprises, traditional businesses and promotion of bio-diversity through country sports. The winners, nominated by the public and judged from shortlists through personal visits by a panel of experts, will go on to represent Scotland in a Great Britain-wide competition whose winners will be announced at a House of Commons ceremony.
R Representatives from Tayside T Police’s P ’ Benevolent Fund have made a donation of £5000 to the Police Treatment Centre at Castlebrae in Auchterarder. The donation was prompted by Tayside members of the Retired Police Officer Association (Scotland) who recognise the good work that the charity does and the benefit that brings to the whole community of Scotland. Paul Grant, Centre Manager, accepted the cheque from the Chief Constable of Tayside Police Justine Curran, Malcolm Gibbs from the Tayside Police Federation, and Alex McKenzie from the Retired Police Officer’s Association. The money will be put towards modernising the facilities at Castlebrae. Sergeant Malcolm Gibbs from the Tayside Police Federation said, ‘’Castlebrae treatment centre requires extensive modernisation and a larger hydrotherapy pool in particular in order that it can continue to do the fantastic work it does in getting injured officers back to work. ‘’The donations that officers make on a weekly basis keep the charity running but large capital projects such as this need an injection of large amounts of cash. ‘’The centre has been fortunate already to have had donations from the Scottish Government, several Scottish Forces and both the national and locaal branches of the Scottish Police Federation. A number of individual officers annd former officers have also organised charity events to assist in the fundraising g.’’
IN THIS ISSUE:
MOVING ON TO PASTURES NEW • RETIRAL OF ASSISTANT CHIEF CONSTABLE BILL HARKINS • CONGRATULATIONS • OFFICERS ‘TWEET’ ON THE BEAT • FROM THE BEAT TO BOOK WRITING • THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY LIAISON
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MOVING ON TO PASTURES NEW Moira Docherty resigned from Tayside Police as Director of Personnel and Development at the start of December last year. Moira joined Tayside Police in 1995 having previously worked with Tayside Regional Council since 1984. During her time with Tayside Police she has been instrumental in introducing policies and best practice for improving attendance figures for both police officers and police staff including the introduction of an independent occupational healthcare provider. She was also heavily involved in setting up the Force Training Priorities Group, ensuring that all officers and staff are properly trained at the right time, and by the right people. More recently, she directed the Force’s job evaluation programme which allowed Tayside Police to compare different jobs, which in turn enabled the Force to determine where jobs should be placed on the single pay spine, thus ensuring equal pay for work of equal value. A member of the ACPOS Personnel and Training Business group, Moira was key in driving a number of national projects including the development of a national recruitment project and the introduction of a cross Force mentoring programme for police officers and police staff. Tayside Police and Tayside Joint Police Board wish Moira all the best with her future career.
CONGRATULATIONS Tayside Police would like to congratulate recently retired Special Constable Frank Buchan on being awarded the Queen’s Police Medal. The Queen’s Police Medal (QPM) is awarded to Police Officers and Special Constables in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for gallantry or distinguished service. Frank was presented with his medal at Buckingham Palace in December. His daughter Fiona and son-in-law Andy, both serving Tayside Police officers, travelled with him to London to enjoy the special occasion. Congratulations also go to Special Constable David Martin who is to receive a Royal Humane Society testimonial on parchment for his actions whilst off duty assisting at a road collision. The Testimonial on Parchment is awarded where someone has put themselves in danger to save, or attempt to save, someone else.
www.tayside.police.uk
RETIRAL OF ASSISTANT CHIEF CONSTABLE BILL HARKINS Bill Harkins, the Assistant Chief Constable of Tayside Police, will bow out of policing next month, after 32 years service.
It was in 1979 that Bill joined Tayside Police as a cadet before joining the regulars and carrying out beat duties across the Force area. Promotions soon came his way and he worked his way up through the ranks to reach Assistant Chief Constable, with two spells as Deputy Chief Constable. ACC Harkins has a wealth of operational policing experience mixed with academic ability having gained a Higher National Certificate in Police Studies from Napier University and a First Class Honours in Business Studies from the University of Abertay in Dundee. Throughout his service he has worked in a number of diverse policing roles ranging from time spent in street crime units, shoplifting squads, and beat duties, to the more strategic posts of Divisional Commander, CBRN Gold Commander, Firearms Gold Commander, and Post Incident Manager. His analytical skills have seen Bill become a leader in a number of national IT projects including his appointment as Executive lead on the Scottish Police National Database Project which recently won a Scottish Policing Award. He was also instrumental in introducing the Airwave radio system, a virtual contact centre and a single non-emergency number to the Force. He was also the Executive lead for the pilot project in relation to the highly successful Community Disclosure for Sex Offenders which is now being rolled out nationally. Some of his other notable achievements include his part in policing the G8 Summit at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder in Perthshire in 2005 where he was in charge of policing the G8 Alternatives march. During his time as Divisional Commander in Angus, between 2004 and 2007, recorded crime fell to the lowest levels in a generation, whilst detection rates were amongst the best in Scotland. He was also involved in policing high profile events such as the Open Golf Championship at Carnoustie. As Assistant Chief Constable of Tayside Police he has overall responsibility for policing operations, and Headquarters Crime Management. He is a member of the Institute of Directors, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, and the Scottish Chief Police Officers Staff Association. Bill has a leadership style that inspired confidence and respect with a unique blend of operational policing experience mixed with real strategic thinking. Tayside Police and Tayside Joint Police Board wish him well in his retirement from policing.
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OFFICERS ‘TWEET’ ON THE BEAT Community police officers in the South Perthshire area have been tweeting on the beat as Tayside Police trials a number of social media options aimed at enhancing local policing and community engagement. The three month pilot is seeing community officers in Auchterarder, Crieff, and Kinross ‘tweeting’ on the beat providing their local communities with up-dates on police surgeries, crime prevention advice, road and traffic information, campaigns, and other community policing issues. Deputy Chief Constable of Tayside Police and National Lead for Digital and Social Media Engagement, Gordon Scobbie, said, ‘’Tayside Police has frequently been at the forefront of new policing methods and we have already experimented with Social Media to good effect on a number of occasions. For example, during a recent spate of suicides in the Dundee area we used Facebook as an effective way of engaging with friends of the young people involved. ‘’Effective engagement is at the heart of policing in Tayside. The revolution in digital technology means that people are engaging with services at their own convenience and in the manner, medium and at a time which suits them. ‘’Many Forces are now realising that traditional methods of getting messages out, which we have relied on in the past, are having less impact and are reaching fewer people. Simply ‘broadcasting’ messages by whichever channel, is no longer enough. What really makes a difference is giving people the opportunity to engage in a two way conversation with the police about things that matter to them. ‘’Social networking has exploded globally with sites such as Facebook and Twitter having over 150 million users Worldwide, half of whom use the service on a daily basis. ‘’Easy access to technology, inexpensive ‘always on’ broadband connections and the growing use of mobile internet means that an online presence is part of our everyday lives. ‘’Twitter is particularly important in sharing breaking news and frequently posts stories before they are reported in the more traditional media forms. This could prove to be extremely useful in local communities where early warning of road closures or incidents could help to avoid delays and speculation. It also allows us to have meaningful two way conversations which gives the public an instant voice on how policing is being delivered in their area. ‘’We need to embrace this form of communication because if we don’t engage with people via social media they will move on without us and we will miss the opportunity to influence them, making it much more difficult to re-engage with them later.
‘’We also need to communicate more effectively with members of the public to let them know what we’re doing. After all, nobody is going to be confident in an organisation who they don’t hear from and who they can’t engage with.’’ As part of Tayside Police’s social media experiment, the Force is also trialling MyPolice – www.tayside.mypolice.org - an online feedback tool designed to enable the public to have an on-line conversation with the police. The MyPolice service offers those, who do not wish to contact the Force directly, an additional way to give feedback and opinion on policing in their area. Whilst information provided to the service by the public is moderated by nonpolice personnel, it will be passed on to Tayside Police. Deputy Chief Constable Scobbie added, ‘’We are the first Police Service in the UK to trial an independent on-line feedback tool that allows the public to raise issues and to be given an answer. We hope this improved access to community officers and the ability to leave comments, both negative and positive,
will help us improve our local policing by being responsive to local concerns and by providing speedy feedback to the public.’’ ‘’At the end of the trial we will evaluate our use of both Twitter and MyPolice and see whether or not we wish to continue with these tools in the future.’’ The Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill, said, ‘‘The Scottish Government recognises that it is vital that communities are empowered to participate in the planning of local strategies, and feel a sense of ownership of what happens within those communities. A variety of initiatives are underway to encourage this - for example the Community Wellbeing Champions Initiative, sponsored by both Scottish government and COSLA, provides a real opportunity for communities to make decisions on how resources locally are used to combat antisocial behaviour. Twitter and MyPolice will provide a further opportunity for meaningful conversation and Scottish Government awaits the results of the pilot with interest.’’
www.tayside.police.uk
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FROM THE BEAT TO BOOK WRITING Willie Macfarlane, former Tayside Police Officer and now Curator of the Police Museum, has published his first book. Entitled “The History of the Perthshire & Kinross-shire Constabularies”, the book covers the period 1836 until the late 1970’s and sets out how the three police forces of Perthshire, Kinross-shire and Blairgowrie Burgh were formed and how they eventually became one. Willie takes a humorous look at each Chief Constable and describes some of the challenges they faced, the vast geographical area that they covered and how no transport and a lack of radio or telephony made it impossible for the Chiefs to communicate with their men. From the Great War period and how the Special Constabulary came to the fore, to the very first police promotion exams, the book contains something for all serving and retired officers or anyone with an interest in the history of local policing. It’s also packed with around 70 black and white pictures, featuring long forgotten and some not so forgotten policemen, former police buildings in Perthshire and Kinross-shire, old police vehicles, and items of old police equipment. The book is on sale now for £10 and can be obtained directly from Willie at the Police Museum or at The Bookshop, Allan Street, Blairgowrie.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY LIAISON
Family Liaison is a very important role within Tayside Police and is being used on a more regular basis, more so over the last few years. There are a range of different deployments where a Family Liaison Officer (FLO) may be requested, such as during murder enquiries, fatal road collisions, kidnap and extortion cases, mass fatalities, child or cot deaths, any suspicious deaths and drugs deaths. The list is not exhaustive and there are a number of other cases where a FLO may be requested and deployed. The role of a FLO is a demanding one which requires a great deal of tact, common sense and excellent communication skills. It should be borne in mind that extensive training is provided for the role with continued refresher courses throughout the year. There are still, however, misconceptions that a FLO is there to act as a bereavement counsellor, make the family endless cups of tea and give them cuddles to make them feel better – this is not the case. The FLO is a vital part of the enquiry team and their primary role is as an investigator, working in conjunction with the enquiry team and the Senior Investigation Officer (SIO). At present there are 20 trained Family Liaison Officers within Tayside Police covering the whole force area. To date this year they have been deployed in excess of 50 incidents. Constable Leanne Gregge, one of the Family Liaison Co-Ordinators in Force, said, ‘’Although the role of a FLO is voluntary there are often times when you can be called upon outwith normal hours and this should be considered by those wishing to take on the role. It can be very demanding and at times stressful but it can also be exceptionally rewarding.’’ Anyone who is interested in becoming a FLO or looking for more information can contact any of the co-ordinators; Constable Leigh-Ann Gregge Ext: 2616 Inspector Carol-Ann Brown Ext: 6534 Sergeant Graham Young Ext: 6653
www.tayside.police.uk
Here are some of the captions we received for the photograph that appeared in the last edition of the magazine.
Special Branch training Superintendent Athol Aitken, Central Command Team. Thicket v Thickset - Superintendent Athol Aitken, Central Command Team. Police examine the new FIFA standard security barriers for Brechin City Football Club - Superintendent Athol Aitken, Central Command Team. Tut tut officer....that’ll be a £40 fixed penalty notice. - C Chalmers, Force Control Room. Now where’s that scamp ‘Wullie’ hiding now asked PC Murdoch. - C Chalmers, Force Control Room. Should never have had that last cup of tea - L Smith, Brechin Police Station. For the next edition of Copperplate we’d like some suitable captions ions for this photograph of Inspector Carol Brown who looks decidedly unhappy about the choice off colour scheme in her new office. E-Mail your caption n suggestions to Sarah Craig or Damon Rhind in the Corporate Communications Department.
ae ar t fff magazine – whether youu ta Copperplate is a sta support staff, your a police officer or member of would like to hear opinions count. That is why we or suggestions that from you with any news, views ed in Copperplate. you would like to see publish contact Sarah If you have a story idea, please unications mm or Damon in the Corporate Co Department on; ) 596730 Telephone: Sarah (01382 e.pnn.police.uk E-Mail: sarah.craig@taysid ) 596731 Telephone: Damon (01382 side.pnn.police.uk E-Mail: damon.rhind.@tay
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