Report Summary
This report provides members of the Scottish Police Authority with an overview of information relating to the Police Service, policing and the state of crime.
To access the full document please open the PDF document above.
To view as accessible content please use the sections below. (Note that tables and some appendixes are not available as accessible content).
Meeting
The publication discussed was referenced in the meeting below
Meeting of the Scottish Police Authority - 21 August 2025
Date : 21 August 2025
Location : Clayton Hotel Glasgow, 298 Clyde St, Glasgow, G1 4NP
Less crime
Retail Crime Taskforce
Police Scotland has established a dedicated unit to tackle retail crime across the country. The Retail Crime Taskforce has been set-up to address a rise in offences, such as shoplifting.
The Taskforce was created following a £3m funding allocation from the Scottish Government and will work alongside a range of key stakeholders to deliver a four-strand approach to tackling retail crime – prevent, pursue, protect and prepare.
Uniformed officers will operate within Edinburgh, Glasgow and Lanarkshire, as crime figures show these areas experience the highest levels of retail crime.
Our dedicated Edinburgh team shows what a focused approach can achieve, delivering significant results for the capital's retailers since April.
Key Results since April include:
• 234 charges have been brought against retail crime offenders.
• The cases dealt with relate to an estimated £25,000 of stolen goods.
• Approximately £2,000 of stolen property has been recovered by the team.
• The team's work has also led to 230 offender identifications across the city.
• An additional 22 individuals who were wanted on existing warrants have been arrested by the team during their duties.
31 reports have been submitted to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and two court orders have been granted to ban prolific offenders from specific retail locations, with three more orders now being sought.
Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation campaign
Our 2025 Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OCSAE) prevention campaign commenced on Wednesday, 23 July, in partnership with the prevention charity the Lucy Faithfull Foundation Scotland.
A video advert aimed at perpetrators and those who may offend is being advertised on relevant online channels, with the message that anyone concerned about viewing sexual images of children should ‘get help or get caught’.
Media coverage for the campaign focused on our Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation unit revealing that from April 2024 to July 2025, it carried out 863 investigations, resulting in 604 arrests, with steps taken to protect 815 children.
The campaign will run until early September with content published across Police Scotland social media channels.
