Delivering on our priorities

POLICING OUR COMMUNITIES

As consistently stated, the funding allocation provided by the Scottish Government represents a real terms reduction and does not allow policing in Scotland to maintain our workforce at the levels of previous years and at the same time make a fair pay award in 2023-24.

Hard choices are being taken to maintain effective policing within the funding available and action is being taken to achieve savings. Areas which encounter the greatest demand and which carry the greatest risk in keeping people safe, are being prioritised for resources, to ensure policing continues to address harm and protect the vulnerable.

As part of this urgent action, as of Wednesday 9 August we have paused police staff recruitment other than for reform or externally funded posts; roles based in our Contact, Command and Control (C3) Division or Resource Deployment Unit; Police Custody and Security Officers; and Public Enquiry and Support Assistants. Recruitment of Probationary Constables will continue and our commitment to no compulsory redundancies for police staff remains.

Police Scotland’s budgeted officer establishment has reduced from 17,234 to 16,600 and we are building a service model which reflects that number. At the same time, we will reduce police staff costs in proportion to the reduction in officer numbers and reduce overtime spending.

Work is being co-ordinated under the Policing Our Communities programme led by Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham KPM and Deputy Chief Officer David Page. This work will shape our Service and define core policing, seek to reduce demand and increase capacity, and accelerate change which provides benefits to operational policing, including the ongoing transformation of our estate. We will also review support services and command structures.

The safety and welfare of our officers and staff is a key consideration and it would not be right to ask fewer people to deliver the same level of service. What we do may take longer or may need to be done differently, and the levels of service we provide to the public relating to some issues will inevitably reduce.

Police Scotland will continue to respond to the public by prioritising issues which present the greatest threat, harm and risk.

This work is supported by ongoing internal and external communications and engagement and a series of briefings were held across the organisation in early August to share information with officers and staff.

ROAD SAFETY

The summer Drink and Drug Driving Campaign took place between Monday 26 June and Sunday 16 July. The nationwide campaign focused on reducing road casualties by highlighting the risks associated with drink and drug driving, combined with targeted enforcement activity. During the campaign, officers carried out 878 roadside breath tests and 272 roadside drug screening tests, leading to the detection of 408 offences.

Pro-active campaigns, operations and patrols on the roads network to deter and detect offending, and positively influence driver behaviour are ongoing. This activity has included engagement with foreign drivers around the requirement to drive on the left; motorcycle safety activity; the New Driver Early Intervention Scheme aimed at young drivers aged between 17-25; and Operation Tramline involving the deployment of an unmarked HGV with camera recording equipment.

Despite a decrease in overall fatalities compared to the same period last year, between 1 April and 15 August there were 57 fatalities on the roads, 16 of which were motorcyclists, 17 pedestrians and four cyclists.

These incidents are tragedies for families and effect wider communities, and the thoughts of Police Scotland are with all those affected. We are committed to working with partners to making our roads safer for all users.