Overview

Recent weeks have underlined the dynamic, challenging, and broad range of crime and incidents police officers respond to, including the injury and attempted murder of people in Edinburgh, unacceptable violence, and disorder during a football match, and supporting fire and rescue colleagues responding to a devastating blaze in Glasgow city centre.

During the same period, policing continued to investigate crime, making arrests in relation to the murder of Jordan Gray following a public appeal, and secure criminal justice outcomes, including the conviction and sentencing of David Campbell for the murder of Brian Low in Aberfeldy in February 2024.

Earlier this month, following a complex investigation, Lee Milne was convicted of the culpable homicide of his wife Kimberley Milne who fell from a road overpass in Dundee in July 2023.

In the first prosecution of its kind in Scotland, and in close work with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, it was established that Lee Milne's behaviour in the time leading up to Kimberley's death placed her in such fear that she took action to get away from him which led to her death.

Police Scotland will continue to hold offenders accountable and play our part in building a society where women and girls can live from violence and abuse.

My report also details County Lines enforcement which resulted in over 40 arrests, as well as dozens of vulnerable people, including children, safeguarded and illegal drugs, weapons, and cash also seized.

Our commitment to tackling organised crime is also underlined by convictions in relation to wilful fire raising achieved under Operation Portaledge, with four men sentenced to a total of over 20 years imprisonment earlier this month.

I highlight an important criminal justice outcome in respect of a man who committed a despicable attack on an officer who was carrying out her duties. Officers are placed in difficult, at times dangerous, situations daily and I am clear that being assaulted is not part of the job.

Where attacks happen, we want to give our people the best possible support, and it is important we follow cases through to conviction and sentence to send a clear message that violence against police officers and staff is not tolerated.

The policing response to across all these matters provides some insight into the intense demand on policing throughout 2025-26 and I want to thank officers, staff, and volunteers who stood up well under that pressure.
As we deliver effective policing for communities, detailed planning has also been a focus for me.

Along with members of my senior team, and in close collaboration with the Authority, I have engaged extensively with government and parliament in recent weeks, including public evidence sessions with the Criminal Justice Committee and the Public Audit Committee, to respond to policing's funding allocation and the positive best value audit of policing.

These sessions have provided opportunities to highlight policing in Scotland's many strengths, as well as the challenges we are addressing and for which we request the support of partners and government.

My Annual Police Plan and the Scottish Police Authority budget outline the priorities and approach for 2026-27 as we continue to make progress on our vision of safer communities, less crime, supported victims, and a thriving workforce.

This includes the ongoing national roll out of body worn video, which will equip over 10,000 officers and staff ahead of the summer, as well as ongoing work to strengthen community policing.

We have expanded implementation of a new approach to community policing into Tayside and Fife, following encouraging early assessment from a pilot in Forth Valley that we can provide victims with better service and reduce pressure on response officers.

With a strategic approach to our buildings, we can make best use of our capital budget and move at pace to give our people better accommodation and provide communities with the right services in the right locations.

A safe and secure country is a pre-requisite for supporting cohesive communities which can function, thrive, and flourish. In 2026-27, policing will enable candidates and citizens to campaign and exercise their democratic freedoms in May, and support Glasgow to host the Commonwealth Games in the summer.

Ring-fenced funding also supports us to continue our focus on shoplifting and violence against retail workers.
While responding to these pressures, and others which will emerge in year, Police Scotland will continue to drive further improvements with a relentless focus on prioritising frontline services.
We’ll work with partners to develop a new approach to roads policing, including using technology to streamline cases from the roadside through the justice system and increase the use of education and diversion.

We’ll continue to identify opportunities for how automation and AI can build efficiencies and continue to improve our public contact arrangements.

We will build on the progress of body worn video, the digitally enabled sharing capability, and better summary case management, as part of our commitment to work with prosecutors, the courts, and others, to improve the experience for victims and witnesses and create efficiencies across the criminal justice system.

We know the extremely challenging public finance outlook illustrated by the Scottish Spending Review, and we will build on our reputation for best value with a focus on medium-term financial planning, better workforce planning, and management, as well as a further three-year business plan.

The officers, staff, and volunteers of Police Scotland will continue to be key to achieving these ambitions and, following difficult decisions including around overtime and staff costs, we will be able to maintain officer numbers in the coming year. We are recruiting officers, particularly in rural areas, and my reports outlines our recent intake of new probationary constables.

I also highlight a number of awards, including my Bravery and Excellence Awards and recognition of one of our police dogs and their handler at Crufts.

I have said there is a hero made every day in policing and these are important and positive opportunities to pause and recognise the contribution of our workforce, and our police dogs and horses, to keeping people safe.

I have been particularly encouraged by the focus and recognition of our response policing colleagues this year and I pay tribute to their resilience, professionalism, and skill in an intensely demanding role.

My focus, now and in the future, will be on supporting and leading our frontline to deliver efficient and effective policing which addresses threat, harm, and risk to keep the people of Scotland safe.