Committees

 

A meeting of the Northern Joint Police Board will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, on Friday, 18 January 2008 at 10.00 am.

 

Please note the earlier than usual start time.

 

You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Roslyn Pieroni

Clerk to the Board

 

 

Declarations of Interest – Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.    

 

 

1.           Apologies for Absence

 

2.           Presentation by the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA)

 

Mr D Mulhern, Chief Executive, Scottish Police Services Authority will make a presentation to the Board on the work of the Scottish Police Services Authority.

 

3.           Minutes – Previous Meeting

There are circulated for confirmation Minutes of Board Meeting of 22 November 2007.

 

4.           Minutes – Complaints Working Group

There are circulated for confirmation Minutes of the Complaints Working Group held on January 2008 .

 

5.           Complaints Sub-Committee

Further to item 6 of the Complaints Working Group Minutes (item 4 above refers), there is circulated Report No. pol-1-08  dated 10 January 2008 by the Clerk inviting the Board to approve Complaints Handling Procedures, as set out in the report, and to establish an ad hoc Complaints Sub-Committee to deal with complaints received by the Board concerning (a) decisions reached or actions taken by the Board itself or (b) any other complaints, excluding complaints about either (i) a Chief Officer, in terms of the Police (Conduct)(Senior Officer)(Scotland) Regulations 1999, or (ii) quality of service complaints about Northern Constabulary; a process for each of these latter categories already being in place.

 

The Board is asked to:-

 

i.             approve the draft Complaints Handling Procedures;

ii.           submit a copy of these to the Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland; and

iii.         appoint a Complaints Sub-Committee comprising 5 Members, with delegated powers to deal with complaints falling into categories i and iv as set out in the Procedures.

 

6.           Revenue Budget Monitoring Statement 2007/08

There is circulated Report No. pol-2-08 comprising a statement and commentary by the Chief Constable on Revenue Expenditure and Income for the period to 1 April to 31 December 2007.

 

7.           Revenue Budget 2008/09

There is circulated Report No. pol-3-08 presenting the proposed revenue budget for 2008/09, together with Report No. F&P1/08, previously considered by the Finance and Policy Working Group at their meeting held on 8 January 2008.

 

There are also circulated Minutes of that meeting.

 

The Board is asked to approve the revenue budget 2008/09.

 

8.           Capital Expenditure Monitoring Statement 2007/08

There is circulated Report No. pol-4-08 comprising a statement and commentary by the Chief Constable on Capital Expenditure for the period to 1 April to 31 December 2007.

 

9.           Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002: Implementation

There is circulated for noting Report No. pol-5-08 dated 9 January 2008 by the Chief Constable providing Members with an update on the implementation of Freedom of Information Legislation within Northern Constabulary.

 

 

10.      Independent Custody Visiting Association – Scottish Annual Conference 2008

There is circulated Report No. pol-6-08  by the Clerk inviting the Board to agree to host the 2008 Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA) Scottish Annual Conference in September, in Inverness.

 

11.      Northern Constabulary Diversity Progress Group

 

The Board is invited to appoint three Members to sit on Northern Constabulary’s Diversity Progress Group, which is due to meet at the end of January.  The former Convener and Vice-Convener previously sat on this Group.

 

12.      Public Sector Equality Duties

i.             Equality Schemes

 

There is circulated Report No. POL7/08 by the Clerk updating Members on progress on the Board's Equalities Schemes, incorporating in particular its 2007 annual report on meeting its Disability Equality Duty.

ii.           Northern Constabulary Disability Equality Duty: Annual Report

 

There is circulated for noting Northern Constabulary’s annual report on progress made on the actions arising from the Force Disability Equality Scheme 2006-2009.

   

13.      Establishment of Joint Consultative Group

There is circulated Report No. pol-8-08 by the Clerk reminding Members that the Board already has in place a Northern Joint Police Board and Police Staff Associations Liaison Group, with representation from the local branches of the Scottish Police Federation and the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, and at Chief Officer level.  To date the Board has not had a similar body for Support Staff and the Board is invited to establish a Joint Consultative Group with representation from the recognised trade unions.

 

14.      Police Staff Redundancy and Early Retirement: Revised Force Reference Documents

There is circulated for noting Report No. pol-9-08 by the Chief Constable advising Members of revisions made to the Force Reference Documents relating to  the Early Retirement/Voluntary Severance Scheme and Redundancy.

 

15.      Road Safety

At its meeting held on 22 November 2007, the Board raised a number of concerns relating to road safety matters.

 

In this connection, there is circulated Report No. pol-10-08 by the Chief Constable providing Members with an update on the current position and action taken to date on road safety issues.

 

16.      Chief Constable’s Periodic Report

There is circulated for noting Report No. POL11/08 by the Chief Constable comprising his Periodic Report and covering the following issues:-

 

i.             Crime and Road Accident Statistics (circulated in a separate booklet);

ii.          Crime Situation; and

iii.         Update from Operational Support Services Unit.

 

17.      Letters of Appreciation

There will be tabled for noting 41 letters of appreciation received by the Chief Constable for the period from 1 October to 31 December 2007.  There is also circulated Report No. pol-12-08 dated 7 January 2008 by the Chief Constable illustrating letters of appreciation.

 

18.      Complaints against the Police

There is circulated Report No. pol-13-08 dated 7 January 2008 by the Chief Constable regarding complaints against Police Officers from 1 October to 30 December 2007.

 

It is recommended that the Complaints Book specifying complaints against Northern Constabulary, which will be available for inspection by members prior to the meeting, be declared exempt by virtue of Paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

 

19.      Execution of Deeds

 

Members are asked to note the following deeds recently executed on behalf of the Board:

 

·        Disposition by the Northern Joint Police Board in favour of Sheila Nicola MacDonald of 1 Victoria Road, Tain, Ross-shire

·        Disposition by the Northern Joint Police Board in favour of GMR Henderson of part of the former Police Station, Wick