Supporting officers and staff

Bravery and Excellence Awards
My Bravery and Excellence Awards took place last month at a ceremony at Police Scotland Headquarters, Tulliallan (Friday, 23 February). The awards are one of the most important days in the Police Scotland calendar. It is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate acts of bravery, professionalism and our shared commitment to supporting our communities and helping people at times of need.
Since taking command of Police Scotland I have been impressed by the incredible dedication our officers and staff show while serving their communities and working with the public.
Those recognised include Finlay Johnston, now 20, who, while still a teenager helped at the scene of a serious road collision in June 2022 when he noticed a man trapped, bleeding and unconscious in a vehicle in Edinburgh. Finlay held the man in an upright position to keep his airway passage open until an ambulance arrived. He also provided comfort to the other passenger in the car.
Others recognised, include officers who rescued a woman in the sea in Saltcoats, Ayrshire and a sergeant and constable who saved a woman from a house fire in Lerwick, Shetland.
These awards shine a light on the great value policing brings to communities: keeping people safe from harm, protecting the vulnerable, bringing criminals to justice, solving problems and reducing offending.
Equally, we recognised acts of bravery by members of the public who have gone above and beyond what can be expected of a citizen. I am deeply grateful to them for their courage - stepping-forward when necessity arose.

Leadership appointments
Alan Speirs and Bex Smith have been appointed as Deputy Chief Constable (DCC) following the retirement of Fiona Taylor in February and Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham's impending retirement in April.
DCC Speirs will continue to lead our Professionalism, Strategy and Engagement work while DCC Smith now leads Crime and Operational Support. DCC Jane Connors has strategic oversight of Local Policing and, as previously outlined, is leading our next phase of policing reform.

Promotion events
During three events held at Dalmarnock, Dundee and Glenrothes at the beginning of March, I, DCC Connors and DCC Speirs separately met with over 60 colleagues who had been promoted.
These sessions were smaller and less formal than previous promotion events and provided opportunities to visit colleagues near to where they work to personally thank and congratulate them for their work and to listen to their experiences and perspectives.

Recruitment intake
As previously outlined, we are recruiting - particularly for police officers in rural areas and for Contact, Command and Control (C3) Division staff such as service advisers.
We will welcome our latest cohort of 200 probationers on 25 March to begin their 12 week-long training programme. On successful conclusion of their training, they will deploy to communities across the country.
Policing is a demanding yet rewarding vocation and I would encourage anyone who wants to make a positive difference to people's lives and who shares our values of integrity, fairness, respect and a commitment to upholding human rights to consider joining Police Scotland. More details are available on the recruitment page of our website.