Overview

My Annual Assessment of Policing for 2024-25, published this month, underlines that Scotland remains a safe place to live and work and that our policing response is high quality.

To build and implement a sustainable Service able to effectively meet emerging challenges and deliver safer communities, less crime, supported victims, and a thriving workforce, we’re progressing the next phase of police reform.

A key element of that vision is a strengthened approach to local policing which prioritises frontline services, reconnects with communities, and improves proactivity and prevention to get on top of demand.

In my report, I give an update on the development of our enhanced model of community policing, as we move toward a proof of concept in Forth Valley. The approach follows a detailed review of existing arrangements, including listening to officers, staff, partners, and members of the public.

Successful implementation relies on reform work which creates efficiencies, for example the introduction of technology, and which reduces the time officers spend at court when they don’t give evidence or responding to mental health incidents, when other agencies are better able to help people.

At the same time, maximising the frontline by modernising the workforce and deploying experienced officers to roles which require warranted powers, while also increasing the pool of officers available for operational or high demand deployments is essential to support officers, staff and volunteers to deliver for communities.

My Annual Assessment provides an overview of the strong progress on this necessary change and the impact it has had.

We’ve changed policy and we’re consulting on shift changes to make more officers available for frontline deployments, including at weekends and on high demand days.

We’re taking a proportionate response to crime and an appropriate approach to direct measures, including recorded police warnings, so officers can focus on addressing threat, harm, risk and vulnerability.

We’re collaborating with partners to provide better services in the criminal justice system and in response to mental health incidents, while reducing demand on police officers.

This includes working with NHS24 and staff at Contact, Command and Control (C3) to refer more calls to health colleagues, to help people get help from those best able to give it, while reducing officer hours spent responding to incidents.

We introduced body worn video in the Tayside area and, earlier this month, we expanded the national roll-out for over 10,000 officers and staff into Highland and Islands Division, a game changer for policing.

The Digital Evidence Sharing Capability is cutting down on thousands of hours spent physically collecting evidence like CCTV on discs and pen drives by allowing files to be uploaded.
We must continue to drive efficiencies and improve ways of working and make conscious and deliberate decisions on reinvesting to prioritise the frontline to deliver for communities.

My Chief Constable’s report describes enforcement, investigation and criminal justice outcomes including in relation to murder, missing persons, serious sexual offences, and the dangerous use of offroad motorcycles and electric scooters, providing insight into the broad policing our officers, staff and volunteers deliver for communities day in, day out.

At the heart of our mission is protecting vulnerable people and the needs of survivors are always at the heart of our victim centred approach.

Baroness Louise Casey’s national audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse is an important report on a complex issue, and we are carefully considering the content and recommendations.

Additionally, I outline that Police Scotland is undertaking a review of previous cases and on-going investigations across Scotland.

I outline our ongoing engagement with the Scottish Government and across political parties, the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, and the third sector with a shared commitment to reduce the profound harm that violence can have on individuals, families, and broader communities.

I illustrate examples of how we are supporting great work with, and for, young people across Scotland. The shared challenge for policing and right across society is how we give young people more safe spaces and create further opportunities for prevention.

We know our officers, staff and volunteers can only deliver for our communities if they are supported to thrive and my report describes important investment in our frontline at Contact, Command and Control (C3) Division where around 500 service advisers have had their pay grade upgraded.

I also outline our ongoing programme of face-to-face engagement with the workforce following feedback from our survey.

Lastly, I congratulate retired Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie and our Chief Human Resources Officer Nicky Page on their recognition in the King’s Birthday Honours.