Back-room staff play vital front-line role, warns police chief

SCOTLAND'S most senior police officer has spoken out after Alex Salmond's "bobbies before boundaries" speech to warn against under-estimating the value of back-office functions.

Pat Shearer, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpos), said there was a "myth" that desk jobs in headquarters were worthless next to the role of bobbies on the beat.

He warned that back office cut-backs would damage front-line police work, such as the drugs squad, surveillance, special branch and public protection.

Police forces are facing cuts of up to 25 per cent over four years, with fears that 2,800 staff may go as they look to save 88 million.

Alex Salmond used his "bobbies before boundaries" speech to back reducing the number of forces from its current total of eight, with the money saved used to preserve visible policing.

However, Chief Constable Shearer said: "I would like to dispel the myth that 25 per cent of the policing budget is somehow wasted in back-office functions that add no value to policing and that savings should be targeted on 'headquarters'.

"As well as important support work which is done centrally in a force, there is a wide range of front-line operational activities such as drugs squad, surveillance, special branch and public protection which are vital to efficient local policing."

He added: "There is no doubt that the delivery of policing is more important than boundaries, but change has to demonstrate and ultimately deliver value for money, better governance and an improved service."

A working group of police and local authority representatives is looking at structures, and has put forward three options - eight forces, three, or one.

Its research will be used by political parties in their manifesto pledges for next year's Scottish elections.

Richard Baker, Scottish Labour's justice spokesman, said: "Our priority has to be policing on the beat. But some back-room jobs are so important that if you remove staff from there officers will have to come off the beat to replace them. This lukewarm response from Acpos to Alex Salmond shows this debate has been handled chaotically."

John Lamont, Scottish Conservatives justice spokesman, said: "The key to any reform is not just financial efficiency, but ensuring forces must still be accountable to the communities they serve and that they retain local connections.

"Scottish Conservatives want to see elected local police commissioners, responsible for representing local views at a national level."

A Scottish Government spokesman said Acpos was correct to highlight the importance of police HQ functions, "but we do not believe that these functions should be replicated eight times over.

"Work for the Scottish Policing Board is examining options for reform that could save money by eradicating inefficient duplication in functions such as HR, property services, communications and administration, thereby protecting resources for front-line policing."