Who We Are

The Scottish Police Authority is independent of both the Scottish Government and policing. It is the primary governance body for policing in Scotland, and was established as a public body on 1 April 2013 by the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012. It was set up to hold the Chief Constable to account; promote, support and oversee improvement in policing. It is also responsible for the management and delivery of Forensic Services in Scotland and Independent Custody Visiting Scotland.

In this section, find out more about the Authority’s priorities, the Board and the Leadership team.

Who We Are

What We Do

The Scottish Police Authority is responsible for maintaining policing. It has four specific areas of responsibility:

promoting the policing principles

supporting continuous improvement

keeping policing under review

holding the Chief Constable to account.

This section tells you in outline what the Authority does.

What We Do

Derek Scrimger

Temp Head of Function (Scene Examination)

Derek Scrimger has been the Head of Scene Examination at Forensic Services since 2021, after leading Biology for the three previous years.

In a 37-year career dedicated to Forensic Science, Derek joined the Lothian & Borders Police laboratory in 1988. He spent much of his career as an Operational Scientist before moving into managerial roles and has a particular interest in Microscopy.

Leading on legal issues for Forensic Services, Derek created the Defence Access Policy and developed Disclosure guidance to ensure compliance with our reporting responsibilities. His current responsibilities includes the transition of Scene Examination to the new Operating Model and supporting the model’s implementation and integration across Forensic Services.

Derek has a BSC (Hons) in Biological Sciences, an MBA from the Open University and is a member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.

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Derek Scrimger