A top Tayside police officer is set to play a leading role in the new amalgamated Scottish police force, The Courier can reveal.
Chief Superintendent Roddy Ross, who has 30 years’ service with Tayside Police, will move to pastures new next month after being in charge of western division (Perth and Kinross) since April.
The Scottish Government decided to abandon the eight police forces and instead have a single national police force.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has stated that the change, along with having a single national fire and rescue service, will save £130m a year, or some £1.7bn over 15 years.
The new post offers Mr Ross an opportunity to be involved in the shaping of the new Scottish police force.
After beginning his police career in Pitlochry he told The Courier he is ”disappointed” to be leaving western division but feels it will be in capable hands.
”I won’t be here next year as I’m moving to the National Project developing the new national police force in Scotland. It will be different from working here, but Perth has been fantastic,” he said.
”I’ve been here from April, which isn’t long. As a local boy it has been absolutely brilliant. I was at Perth High School and still live in the county.
”I’m very disappointed to be leaving but there will be new challenges down at the project. It’s an opportunity to influence things and see how it develops, so that will be nice.
”After 30 years you’re bound to look for new challenges but I’ve enjoyed every day here.”
Mr Ross said there will be no chief superintendent at western division, but the onus for overall charge will fall on Superintendent Jim Leslie.
”Jim’s also a local boy and he’s excited about coming back here. The command team will consist of Superintendent Leslie, Chief Inspector Andy McCann and Detective Chief Inspector Colin Gall,” he added.
”Tayside Police has got to manage within its budget for another two years and in order to do that we have to change the structure a bit. Sometimes you can replace the process and sometimes you can replace the system but we have had a really successful structure over that period.
”I think it’s safe to say we’re all concerned about what this means for local policing. However, the public will not see a difference because we are going to have just as many PCs, just as many sergeants and inspectors as we had before. We just have to accept it and get on with it, but one thing the police have been shown to be very good at certainly in my 30 years’ experience is change.
”Whatever this change brings and the shrinking in the command structure, we will live with that and whatever change the single force brings in two years’ time, we will live with that as well.”
Mr Ross will be based at the Scottish Police College in Tulliallan in his new role. He began his policing career 30 years ago as a cadet in Pitlochry and has worked in Perth, Errol, Perth CID, Dundee police fraud squad, as a sergeant at Blairgowrie and a detective inspector in Dundee.
He travelled to London to work in the Police Information Technology Organisation as chief inspector before serving as a detective chief inspector in Dundee, chief staff officer during the G8 and then chief inspector support, detective chief inspector in Perth, detective superintendent and detective chief superintendent in Dundee, and latterly chief superintendent at western division.
”This job has been the best for obvious reasons as it’s my place. I know the people in the council and criminal justice department …You also get a good feel for a place, which is a real advantage for a cop at whatever level,” he commented.