HC Deb 05 February 2001 vol 362 cc366-8W
Mr.McNamara

To ask the secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Chief Constable of the RUC will appoint district commanders for each of the reorganised policing districts in Northern Ireland; what the job specification is for the posts; what criteria and selection procedjres are to be used in making the appointments; if independent assessors will take part in the appointment process; and if the posts are to be advertised outside the RUC [144380]

Mr. Ingram

It is the Chief Constable's intention to appoint commanders for the new district command units with effect from 1 April 2001. The criteria for appointment, post criteria and person specification are detailed in the list and have been applied following consultation with the Superintendents' Association for Northern Ireland and the Police Authority for Northern Ireland. Both have been involved throughout the selection process. Because of the very tight time scales imposed, advertising for these positions outside the Royal Ulster Constabulary was not practicable on this occasion; however, it will be considered for future appointments.

  • District Command Units
  • Criteria for appointment
    • Career profile
    • Leadership/management skills
    • Knowledge/experience/strategic vision of role sought
    • Match against post criteria
    • Match against person specification
    • Eligibility for appointment to Chief Superintendent/ Superintendent where post holds that rank
    • Individual needs (including expressed preference and domestic circumstances)
    • Organisational needs (while considering individuals' needs)
  • Post Criteria—District Commander
  • Job description
  • Job title:
    • District Command Unit (DCU) Commander
  • Responsible to:
    • Regional Assistant Chief Constable
  • Staff reporting to jobholder:
    • Functional heads within DCU
  • Main purpose:
    • To be responsible for the delivery of a quality policing service to a District within the framework of force policy and in a way that reflects local needs.
  • Duties
    • Develop strategies and policies for the policing of the District.
    • Foster and maintain consultative relationships with the public and external agencies.
    • Be responsible for the financial resources of the DCU.
    • Be responsible for the welfare, development, performance and discipline of all District personnel.
    • Plan and command significant operations where appropriate.
    • Ensure the effective and efficient deployment of personnel.
    • Serious incident cover.
    • PACE and RIPA cover.
  • Contact with outside agencies:
    • Local councils and community representatives.
    • Statutory agencies.
    • Local non-government organisations.
    • Military personnel.
    • Other police forces.
  • Hours of work:
    • Normally Monday to Friday, 09:00–17:00 with Saturday and Sunday rest days.
    • 24 hour cover required on a rota basis in relation to serious incidents and PACE.
  • Physical make-up:
    • The postholder should present a professional image of the force.
    368W
  • Specialised aptitudes:
    • Capable of taking a realistic and logical approach to problem solving.
    • Understand human resource management issues.
    • Understand financial management matters.
    • Ability to balance competing demands and prioritise solutions.
  • Disposition:
    • Possess good interpersonal skills and be able to work as part of a team.
    • Possess good oral and written communications skills.
    • Demonstrate commitment along with the ability to motivate and influence others.
    • Able to balance competing demands.
    • Able to make impartial decisions in accordance with law, policies and available information.
    • Capable of remaining focused in the face of opposition.
    • Capable of assimilating new information, concepts and ideas and converting these to workable practice.
  • Circumstances:
    • The postholder will be based at district headquarters and may be required to use his/her private motor vehicle as part of his/her duties.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to ensure a wide range of candidates apply for the posts of district commander in the Police Service of Northern Ireland. [144381]

Mr. Ingram

Given the time scale imposed and in order to apply a fair and equitable selection process, all eligible superintendents and those on the select list for promotion to superintendent were assessed against specific criteria. The process necessitates taking into account officers at these ranks whose current posts are to be suppressed following restructuring of the organisation in accordance with the implementation plan.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will instruct the present Police Authority not to make more than one appointment to the rank of Assistant Chief Constable; and if he will permit the incoming police board to advertise the post of Assistant Chief Constable and officers without obligation to consult the list of candidates prepared by the current Police Authority. [144382]

Mr. Ingram

The Police Authority for Northern Ireland is presently running a competition for a position of Assistant Chief Constable in the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The process was initiated because of the retirement of an ACC and following advice from the Chief Constable, who indicated that there was an urgent operational need for the post to be filled.

Since the competition was initiated, a second post has been identified as becoming vacant in the near future. It will be for the Police Authority, with the advice of the Chief Constable, to decide on the operational need if the second post should be filled at this time.