News

3 - 4 June 2010
ACPOS CONFERENCE TO DEBATE CHALLENGES AHEAD

CHIEF police officers and the professional partners they work with in law enforcement and government are to gather near Glasgow to debate the challenges ahead in policing and reflect on the excellent work which has been going on.

The annual conference of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland will be held at the Westerwood Hotel, Cumbernauld, on Thursday 3 June and Friday 4 June.

Among the speakers will be chief officers from across the country, front line colleagues involved in major operations and representatives of government at national and local level who work closely with the police.

The theme of day one is excellence in the police service and the priorities of the ACPOS business areas including information management, criminal justice and road policing.

On day two speakers will give their views on public protection, counter terrorism and combating the threat from drugs and violence.

Throughout the conference there will be debate on the current financial situation and how policing is going to be delivered at the current high level as budgets are reduced.

Chief Constable Patrick Shearer of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary, president of ACPOS, said: “We see the annual conference as an opportunity to meet not only with our police colleagues but also with the wide variety of colleagues and partners who are so closely involved with what we do.

“The thrust of the conference is the Scottish policing manifesto – what we can and will deliver against a background of unprecedented financial pressures in the public sector. What is clear from the list of speakers and delegates is that we are serious in Scotland about delivering the highest levels of policing on a partnership basis.”

He added: “We have much to be proud of in the police service and that will be acknowledged. But we are realistic enough to know that we will have to work hard and explore every possible avenue to continue delivering that outstanding level of service.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Among the conference speakers are Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill and Permanent Secretary Sir John Elvidge from the Scottish Government. There will be inputs from chief officers on criminal justice, road policing, equality and diversity and business change. Front line officers will speak to the conference on live operations such as Operation Anagram which is bidding to trace the movements of serial killer Peter Tobin and Operation Algebra which led to the imprisonment of a number of people who engaged in child sex abuse and shared images online.

The ACPOS annual conference opens at 1pm on Thursday 3 June and runs until Friday 4 June at the Westerwood Hotel, St Andrew’s Drive, Cumbernauld G68 OEW. Media representatives are welcome to attend and for further information should contact:

ACPOS Communications
0141 435 1240
07771 842881
communications@acpos.pnn.police.uk