Less crime

Retail Crime Taskforce

It has been almost six months since our Retail Crime Taskforce was established to address the ongoing rise in retail offences taking place throughout Scotland, following a £3m funding allocation from the Scottish Government for 2025-26.

Since inception, the taskforce has supported local policing divisions to identify and pursue those responsible for retail crime, while also working alongside retail sector partners to improve on-site security and consider a range of crime prevention methods and techniques that can help reduce offences occurring and protect staff working within these premises.

Working together with local policing and Retailers Against Crime earlier this month, a day of action was held across Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, and Moray, where 13 people were arrested for offences including shoplifting, thefts from tills, assaults and robberies committed against retail workers, possession of bladed weapons and warrant offences.

The Retail Crime Taskforce continues to support local policing divisions through the provision of specialist resources, intelligence analysis and funding of targeted action days.

Student Safety

As the academic year gets under way, we are providing up to date safety messaging to ensure students keep safe, providing information on how to safely enjoy nights out, stay safe online, stay safe in relationships and protect valuables.

Officers are on campus throughout September to provide new and returning students with crime prevention and safety advice, including across our social media channels.
In the lead up to Freshers’ Week, colleagues from Policing Together Division were engaging with students to hear about their safety concerns and how we can best address them.

Cybercrime partnership with Abertay

As part of our efforts to combat cybercrime we have partnered with Abertay University's cyberQuarter, which is Scotland's centre for research and development in cybersecurity.
Deepfake detection training resources and analysis of interview techniques are among funded research projects.

Under the new partnership, Police Scotland will work with academics, researchers, and students on a range of research projects including new techniques to enhance the processing required in digital forensics work and ways to build on existing research into romance fraud.

While we work closely with UK and international law enforcement agencies, we know that partnership working across other sectors, including academia, can further advance our approach to the investigation and detection of cybercrime.

Our work with Abertay cyberQuarter will be driven by a newly established Cyber and Fraud Unit, comprising of specialist detectives and staff, which will develop new capabilities and training to tackle emerging digital threats to Scotland.

This new partnership will enable us to share expertise and resource to better prevent, protect, prepare, and pursue those who commit fraud, economic crime, and cybercrime.