Report Summary
This report provides members of the Scottish Police Authority with an overview of policing activities since the last Authority Meeting on 27 March 2025.
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Meeting
The publication discussed was referenced in the meeting below
Meeting of the Scottish Police Authority - 22 May 2025
Date : 22 May 2025
Location : Clayton Hotel Glasgow, 298 Clyde St, Glasgow, G1 4NP
Less crime
Tackling rural theft
More than a hundred officers from across Scotland have received new training as part of a nation-wide crackdown on rural crime. From Inverness to Dumfries, those working within rural and acquisitive crime have now been trained on VIN Chip technology, which aims to prevent and tackle thefts of agricultural machinery and equipment.
The VIN Chip system provides an individual forensic footprint to a piece of equipment or vehicle which can be scanned from distance using devices carried by police patrols and checks against registration databases to identify the owner and if it has been reported stolen. This allows roadside checks to be carried out quickly and stolen equipment to be recovered.
This year, 34 quad bikes, 13 trailers and 10 agricultural vehicles worth more than half a million pounds have been stolen from farms and rural premises across Scotland. It’s part of wider efforts to encourage farmers to take preventative steps to discourage criminals who prey on the rural communities.
Shut Out Scammers
Doorstep crime can have a significant impact on those affected and can lead to victims isolating themselves to prevent being targeted further. To tackle these offences, Police Scotland supports the annual Trading Standards-led Shut Out Scammers campaign, which launched this year on Monday, 5 May.
With partners, we have been supporting a range of proactive engagement events to raise awareness of doorstep crime and what to look out for, should bogus workmen or rogue traders call at your home. We have also been providing the public with information aimed at preventing offences from occurring and advising communities on what they should do if they believe they've been approached by a doorstep criminal.
The campaign also sees us act on intelligence to carry out road checks on vehicles, speak with trade workers and pursue anyone believed to be committing bogus workmen offences.
We're grateful for the support of our Trading Standards partners as we work together to reduce the number of doorstep crimes occurring within Scotland.
