Supporting Officers and Staff

Parliamentary evidence session

On Wednesday, 11 September, along with Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs and Director of People and Development Katy Miller, I provided evidence to the Scottish Parliament's Criminal Justice Committee on the subject of policing and mental health.

This was an important session to reflect on the rewarding but challenging public service officers and staff provide every day.

In addition to outlining work to develop a sustainable policing model which will better support frontline colleagues which includes progress in relation to criminal justice efficiencies and policing's role in responding to mental health incidents, I reaffirmed my commitment to providing better support to officers and staff in their times of need, for example through our new Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health contracts.

Workforce survey

Our workforce survey closed on 26 August with more than 11,000 colleagues taking part, that’s just over half of the entire workforce. We are in the process of analysing that data and will be able to provide the results at the end of autumn within the organisation, and then be able to act on them.

My plan is to carry out the survey on an annual basis as a means of evaluating the health and wellbeing of officers and staff. We will also conduct pulse surveys on a particular issue so we are continually monitoring not just the data, but how our people actually feel.

Recruitment

I have been clear I want to bring the frontline of policing to its strongest position possible. As part of plans to recruit more than 1,300 officers during 2024-25, we welcomed 129 probationers to Police Scotland earlier this month.

Our police officer recruitment marketing campaign, which supports outcomes in Police Scotland’s Strategic Workforce Plan 2024-27, launched on 2 September, 2024. The campaign aims to encourage potential candidates to view Police Scotland as an employer of choice and apply to become a police officer.

The campaign, which will feature across social media channels, digital advertising, job boards, print and broadcast media, tells the stories of real officers, how they have been able to apply their life skills and experience to the role of police officer and why policing is a job like no other.

Scottish Police Memorial Trust Annual Service of Remembrance

On Wednesday, 4 September, I was joined by Cabinet Secretary for Justice Angela Constance MSP, Scottish Police Memorial Trustee Christine Fulton MBE and friends and families of policing in Scotland for thCrime 20th Scottish Police Memorial Trust Annual Service of Remembrance at our Headquarters in Tulliallan.

This was the first time I have presided over this event since becoming Chief Constable and I was extremely honoured to oversee the addition of seven new names to the roll of honour and the memorial stones.

The Service of Remembrance is an important and poignant day within policing calendar since it was established in 2004. It allows us to remember and honour those no longer with us. The names that appear on our memorial were beloved family members, wonderful friends, and trusted colleagues.

This ceremony also allows us to acknowledge the sacrifices that families of police officers make and to thank them for their support. Each year, we invite the loved ones of those who died in service to come together and draw strength from our policing family.

The next UK National Police Memorial Day will take place in Glasgow on Sunday, 29 September, 2024.