Overview

Policing continues to respond to an intense operating environment, illustrated by a high-level of protest and counter protest across the country each week.

While the vast majority of these have been peaceful, there have been challenging dynamics and appropriate police planning and resource is required, placing pressure on our workforce.

At the same time, officers and staff continue to investigate crime, secure answers for families and bring offenders to justice, powerfully underlined by important criminal justice outcomes in relation to murders, attempted murder, and terrorism offences, as well as arrests in connection with deaths and under Operation Portaledge.

In my report, I highlight enforcement action across retail crime and drug offences, and partnership work to help keep students safe aligned with the start of the academic year, as well as collaboration with Abertay University's cyberQuarter as we continue to develop capabilities to meet ever changing and more complex threats.

As we approach the 10th anniversary of the implementation of the Domestic Abuse Disclosure Scheme for Scotland (DSDAS), my report outlines the significant work Police Scotland has undertaken with partners, including victim and survivor groups to make disclosures which can empower women to leave potentially abusive relationships

I also set-out work to better support victims as part of efforts to build a trauma-informed criminal justice service, including training to take a person-centred approach to our interactions.

These examples provide insight into the broad and deep work of police officers, staff, and volunteers right across the country, right around the clock, and I thank our people for their dedication, hard work, and resilience.

Supporting a thriving workforce is key to delivering effective policing for our communities and I outline continued officer recruitment, while also providing a welcome update on police staff pay, which follows an aligned award for police officers agreed in August.

In addition to appropriate pay and reward, it is crucial we deliver the tangible support which improves the daily experiences of our officers and staff and enables them to deliver for our communities.

My report outlines how we are progressing the next phase of police reform in Scotland, to realise our vision of safer communities, less crime, supported victims, and a thriving workforce, including through the ongoing roll out of body worn video and the transformation of our building estate.

In the coming weeks, we'll implement a strengthened community policing model in Forth Valley (C) division to provide visible, identified, officers who can better connect with communities and build confidence in policing, work with communities to solve the problems that matter to them and prevent crime and anti-social behaviour, and better investigate crime with a victim-centred response.

Enhanced community policing is essential to nurture our relationships with communities, to maintain the confidence to report crime, assist investigations, provide intelligence and to ensure the principle of policing by consent.

Hard-won efficiencies achieved through technology, work with criminal justice partners and health colleagues, as well as releasing experienced police officers from roles which don’t need warranted powers through workforce modernisation, continue to be driven with rigour and are essential to contribute to the capacity needed to deliver on our vision for policing.

However, there are indications the operating environment is intensifying, that our workforce and that policing performance is under pressure, including the public’s confidence to report crime and in policing’s ability to reduce harm through prevention and proactivity.

I have been clear that delivering safer communities, less crime, supported victims, and a thriving workforce will require support, and we are working with the Authority and in communication with the Scottish Government around policing's resource requirements over the coming years.

Developing areas of demand, including increasingly complex demand, the intensifying operating environment, and the pressure on our workforce has informed my view that investment is required to strengthen our resilience against terrorism and organised crime, protect our children from online abuse and exploitation and continue to investigate “cold cases”, and engage with public and fatal accident inquiries. Investment will enable us to successfully embed a strengthened community policing model across Scotland, vital to underpin our national and specialist response.

This month, we provided written evidence to the Criminal Justice Committee to inform their pre-budget scrutiny ahead of the Scottish Government's budget for 2026-27. The evidence underlines the success of policing reform in Scotland since 2013 and seeks ongoing support for a second phase to build a modernised workforce able to keep pace with developing demand, deliver for our communities to reduce vulnerability and harm and keep people safe from the threats of today and those coming down the line.