Developing our Approach

Police Scotland, supported by partners and Scottish Government, is developing a violence prevention tactical plan. This plan will set out high level outcomes supported by a systematic plan of activity to support ongoing efforts to reduce the instances and the impact of violence and related harms. This is being done through engagement with the Scottish Institute of Policing Research to ensure a rich understanding of contributing factors. We will also be seeking best practice from across UK policing, and from external stakeholders across the country.

The undernoted examples offer a snapshot of current activity from strategic collaboration and targeted primary prevention to nationally embedded good practice and the common partnership approach seen across Local Policing Divisions.

Scottish Prevention Hub - A collaboration Framework Agreement between Police Scotland and Public Health Scotland, outlining a commitment to work together to embed a whole system public health approach to policing and improve the health and wellbeing of communities. The Hub ambition is to reduce health and wellbeing inequalities with a focus on primary prevention.

Scottish Violence Reduction Unit - Think Equal Project - Think Equal is a primary prevention programme, co-created with world renowned experts, aimed at teaching social and emotional skills to early years (age 3-6). The SVRU have worked with Think Equal Project and Glasgow City Council to roll out the programme to 49 of 110 Council run nursery establishments in Glasgow. The SVRU will support the evaluation of the programme with a view to facilitating other local authority areas to develop Think Equal across Scotland.

Campus Officers - Campus officers engage with young people around a variety of issues including drug harms, violence, online harms, anti-social behaviour, domestic abuse and road safety. Officers spend time building trust with young people in the school environment to increase confidence in the police whilst providing informal means for young people to speak with officers. This helps to increase confidence in our policing service amongst this group, whilst influencing a reduction in violence through education.

One Glasgow – is a multi-agency public health approach for children and young people coming into contact with the criminal justice system and Serious Organised Crime. Greater Glasgow Division work with three youth engagement services: Includem ADAPT; Action for Children Side Step; and NRS Youth Intervention Team, to identify and provide young people with bespoke engagement and mentoring by 3rd sector partners. This includes life choices, addiction support, employability skills, family and mental health support.