Report Summary
Issued 7 February 2025, this FOI response confirms some information on the number of assaults against police officers and related injuries is held by the Scottish Police Authority. Advice is provided that Police Scotland may hold further information.
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Response
The Scottish Police Authority has considered your request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act (FOISA). Our response to each of your questions is provided below.
How many reports of assault against officers have been recorded between: June 1 2024 - January 1 2025.
The Authority holds some of the information requested.
Information reported to the Authority’s People Committee in August 2024 shows the breakdown of assault figures for April to June 2024, see page two of the Manager Report at the following link: Health and Safety 2024/25 Q1 Report (and replicated below).
See PDF for figures
The same report to the People Committee in November 2024 reported information for July to September 2024, see page three of the Manager Report at the following link: Health and Safety 2024/25 Q2 Report (and replicated below).
See PDF for figures
Information provided at Police Scotland’s Health and Safety Board, which Authority staff attend, reported in August 2024 that the current injury rate for police officers and staff was 25.6%. An update to the November 2024 meeting reported that in July to September 2024/25 this fell by 0.6%.
The Authority does not hold the information requested for October to December 2024. Information may be available by contacting Police Scotland at foi@scotland.police.uk
However, we would note that information covering this period will be reported at the scheduled People Committee on 25 February 2025. This meeting will be viewable from our website and papers published three working days prior.
Please provide a breakdown of the types of injuries received during these assaults (laceration, bruise, soft tissue injury, abrasion, sprain, strain etc).
The Authority holds some of the information requested.
Information held by the Authority and reported at Police Scotland’s Health and Safety Board in August 2024 provided common types of injury received during assaults against officers for April to June 2024. The information is set out below:
See PDF for chart
Information reported in November 2024 for July to September 2024 is set out below:
See PDF for chart
The Authority does not hold the information requested for October to December 2024. Information may be available by contacting Police Scotland at foi@scotland.police.uk
Please could I also confirm that the May report (https://www.spa.police.uk/spa-media/z2kbsfj4/item-4-1-q4-end-of-year-health-and-safety-report.pdf) is referencing May 2023-2024?”
The Authority can confirm that the information in the report referenced above from May 2024 contains information for financial year 2023/24, i.e. from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.
