(11 Apr 2024) HMICS publishes its review of wellbeing provision in Police Scotland. It focused on those officers and staff delivering frontline serviceS.

(4 Apr 2024) The aim of this progress inspection, undertaken jointly by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) and Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), was to assess progress made against improvement actions put in place by inspectors during a full inspection of the custody centres in Dumfries and Galloway in June 2023.

(March 2024) This CETaS Research Report explores the future of biometric technology for UK policing and law enforcement. It analyses technical trends and highlights where new regulatory measures may be required to facilitate responsible uses and restrictions of these systems for public safety purposes. It gathers insights from existing literature, research interviews with 35 experts, a workshop and incorporates the most up-to-date public survey on biometric systems – involving a nationally representative sample of 662 members of the UK population.

(21 Mar 2024) The Jay Review of Criminally Exploited Children was launched by Action for Children in November 2023, with CYCJ supporting the three recommendations that have emerged from the review:

1. A single, cohesive legal code designed to tackle the criminal exploitation of children
2. Coordinated policy and practice at a local and national level.
3. Investment, research and whole-system learning

(18 Mar 2024) CYCJ team members have been awarded a prestigious Nuffield Foundation Research Grant for the project “Challenging Justice Inequalities with Children in Conflict with the Law”. The project, which will span 27 months, aims to increase understanding of how the interactions between poverty, the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 (including: age, disability, gender identity, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation) and inequalities shape children’s experiences of justice in Scotland.

(14 Mar 2024) The March 2024 meeting focused on police resources, police pay and pay parity for civilian staff, recruitment plans, assaults on officers, officer vetting, misconduct dismissals, unnotified parades and disclosure of information in court & tribunal cases. 

(13 Mar 2024) New report shows scale of domestic homicides and for the first time recorded an increase in suspected suicides by domestic abuse victims.

(13 Mar 2024) APCC Chair Donna Jones has become a signatory to a new Police and Industry Charter which sets out foundational principles upon which the policing sector and industry partners collectively agree to adhere as they work together to design and deliver effective crime-fighting products and services, and develop the skills required to tackle rapidly evolving crime challenges.

(13 Feb 2024) This report presents short-term Scottish prison population projections for the six month period from January to June 2024. They have been produced using ‘microsimulation’ scenario modelling which simulates prison arrivals and departures, and estimates the number of individuals in prison.

(12 Feb 2024) Scottish Government responds to an information request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

(5th Feb 2024) An extensive study led by the University of Stirling has laid out options and key considerations for Scotland’s first drug checking services (DCS).

(23 Jan 2024) NPCC publishes details of the largest integrity screening project ever undertaken in policing. This project conducted checked police workforce data relating to 307,452 officers, staff and volunteers against the Police National Database (PND). 

(22 Jan 2024) The Commissioner has published the first annual assessment on compliance with the Scottish Code of Practice by the SPA. The Code of Practice relates to the use of biometric data under the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner Act 2020 and therefore solely to matters within the devolved competence of the Scottish Parliament.

(18 Jan 2024) A comprehensive analysis of the Metaverse’s key challenges, threats and harms from a law enforcement perspective is outlined in a new INTERPOL White Paper published on the 18th of January.

Contributing towards a secure-by-design Metaverse, the document identifies current and potential Metacrimes, such as grooming, radicalization and cyber-physical attacks against critical infrastructure, as well as theft of 3D virtual/cultural property, trespassing in private virtual spaces, and robbery from an avatar.

(11 Jan 2024) CYCJ publishes its ‘Rights Respecting Justice for Children in Conflict with the Law' briefing paper. This paper follows the convening of practitioners from across different jurisdictions across the UK to discuss the implications of implementing the UNCRC.

Touching on key areas such as diversion from prosecution and ACR, this report discusses police custody, children and young people in custody and restorative justice.