Delivering on our Priorities

Scottish Police Budget

On Thursday 15 December, the Scottish Government published the Scottish Policing Budget for 2023–24.  There are unprecedented financial pressures upon the public sector and upon individuals and families.

Hard choices lie ahead to deliver effective policing within the revenue budget available and our capital funding remains significantly lower than that needed to progress improvements to our technology, buildings and vehicles.

The allocation for 2023-24 is an improvement on the flat cash level indicated in the Scottish Government’s Resource Spending Review and recognition of the significant transformation, savings and enhanced service delivered by Police Scotland.  I am hugely grateful to our officers and staff for their continued hard work and dedication to public service.

Tackling Crime in the Digital Age 

Significant Conviction

On Thursday 22 December, at the High Court in Glasgow, 31 year old Craig McInally was sentenced to a minimum 2 years 3 months imprisonment with an Order for Lifelong Restriction, following his conviction in respect of culpable and reckless conduct, with a sexual element, for preying on the vulnerable through pro-choice websites, and encouraging them to end their own life. 

The conviction and sentence followed an investigation spanning more than two years, led by Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team in conjunction with a range of partners across the UK and internationally.

Police Scotland is committed to preventing and investigating crime across all digital platforms, to protect vulnerable persons and ensure that offenders are brought to justice.

Protecting Vulnerable People 

Naloxone

Naxlone has now been administered at more than 100 incidents by Police Scotland officers as the national roll-out of the opioid reversal nasal spray continues.  The hundredth incident occurred just before Christmas at a Glasgow hotel when officers were first on the scene and provided emergency assistance to a woman in medical crisis until paramedic colleagues arrived to take over her care.

As previously reported in September 2022, work continues at pace to distribute kits across the country.  4,000 kits have already been issued across eight divisions to operational police constables, sergeants and inspectors as well as officers in custody centres.  Distribution will continue across the rest of the country, and eventually see around 12,500 officers overtly equipped with Naloxone as a first aid response to potential opioid-related overdoses as part of their standard issue equipment.

Support for Operational Policing 

Digital Evidence Sharing

On Tuesday 24 January, the Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) pilot went live in Dundee.

DESC aims to support simple, fast and effective justice by enabling secure information and evidence sharing across the criminal justice system in a secure and managed environment in an end-to-end process, from evidence capture to court presentation.  

The initiative, funded by the Scottish Government and developed in collaboration with partners, has the potential to speed up the criminal justice process, significantly benefiting witnesses and victims of crime, whilst also reducing the costs involved in managing and transporting evidence.

The pilot will run for 6 months with defined success criteria and will be considered for wider implementation across the country.

Working with Communities 

Your Police, You Decide - Participatory Grant Making Initiative

Police Scotland have been working together with Caithness Voluntary Group (CVG) to apply for a share of a new £32,000 fund for Caithness.  This unique grant making approach in Highland and Islands Division, ‘Your Police, You Decide’, is funded by Scottish Government.

Recruiting people from the local community, the project aims to improve engagement with decision-making in the local community to enhance safety and wellbeing.  Following voting, 14 of 18 proposed projects were successful for progression with funding distributed among community organisations.    Local engagement regarding the initiative has been extremely positive.  The project will conclude with a community event in March 2023, where following a public vote, the successful applicants will be announced.

External evaluation is underway and will determine suitability of the project to be utilised elsewhere in the organisation.