MONDAY 17 AUGUST 1998 - 4.00 PM

 

Present:-  Provost Allan, Councillors Calvert, Morrison (D), Clocherty, Morrison (M), O'Rourke, Jackson, Roach, McGhee, Nimmo, Robertson (Y), Mulholland, Sir Simpson Stevenson, Rebecchi, Welch, Hunter and Campbell, Provost Allan in the Chair.

 

In attendance:- The Chief Executive, Messrs G Moodie, G MacGillivray and A Barnes

(Contract Services), Mr A S Grant, (for the Director of Central Services), the Director of Legal Services, the Director of Economic Development, the Director of Education Services, Mr J Higgins (for the Director of Leisure and Recreation), Mr N Buchan (for the Director of Social Work), the Director of Housing and Customer Services, the Director of Personnel Services, the Director of Information Technology and the Chief Environmental Services Officer.

 

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Councillors Robertson (A), Mitchell and Finnie.

 

   830      PRESENTATION BY CHIEF CONSTABLE ON PROPOSALS FOR THE RESTRUCTURING         830

OF STRATHCLYDE POLICE

 

The Council heard a presentation by the Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police, Mr John Orr who was accompanied by Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Cameron and Local Divisional Officers on the current proposals due to be considered by Strathclyde Joint Police Board on

Thursday 20 August for the restructuring of Strathclyde Police and in particular, the proposed merger of Inverclyde 'X' Division with Paisley 'K' Division with headquarters based in Paisley.

Mr Orr emphasised that while the objectives of the proposals were clearly to effect economies in the operation of the force, the restructuring was committed to ensure that existing budgets and service are sustained.  Under the revised structure, Inverclyde would have sub-division status with the loss of 1 post of Chief Superintendent on the basis that resultant savings would be utilised to provide at least 11 additional operational officers in the area.  He indicated that it was his intention to return to meet with the Council again to appraise the restructuring exercise following a period of 6 months from the implementation of the proposals in May 1999.  Following the presentation, a number of strong concerns were expressed by Members and were answered by the Chief Constable after which he was thanked for his attendance and that of his Senior Officers and thereafter departed from the meeting.

The Members then proceeded to discuss the various implications of the issues arising from the restructuring proposals with a view to the Council representatives on Strathclyde Joint Police Board, namely Councillors Mulholland and Jackson, expressing the views of the Council to the Board meeting to be held on Thursday 20 August 1998.

DECIDED:

(a)  That Strathclyde Joint Police Board be advised that while the Council would not oppose the restructuring, it would expect to have firm assurances on the matters of preservation of service level, budgets, local control and monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of the revised structure; and

(b)  That with this in view, the Council accept the Chief Constable's commitment to return for a further meeting following a period of 6 months from the implementation of the revised structure.