Chief Superintendent John Thomson, commander of Strathclyde Police’s Argyll, Bute and West Dunbartonshire Division, was in Oban last Monday and Tuesday. It was his first working experience of the Argyll area, an area he said he was ‘proud’ to work in.

On the subject of staffing, Chief Supt Thomson was aware police in Oban and Lorn are seven officers short, although a new police officer will join the team in April.

Chief Supt Thomson said there were 22 extra police officers coming into the division, eight of which will definitely be deployed into West Dunbartonshire, as the council there has funded those posts.

The division will share the remaining 14 government-funded posts, depending on demand.

‘We need to look at where our officers are needed and we need to focus resources,’ said Chief Supt Thomson. ‘For example, I realise that in Oban the population fluctuates in the summer months.’

There was effusive praise for the work already being done by Argyll’s police officers from the new chief superintendent, who replaced Mitch Roger two weeks ago.

‘In Argyll we have excellent officers who produce exemplary results and the staff are highly motivated. The volume of complaints here is low and the ratio of satisfied customers in surveys is high, compared with many other places in L Division.

‘We are looking to formalise the community policing model so we can respond better to spontaneous events. In Argyll it will be a case of formalising what we already do with aplomb. We have a good public mandate and support from the community.’

Across the division, Chief Supt Thomson said he wanted to ‘focus his resources’ so they can respond quickly to public need.

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