Crime Audit

Total Closed Ongoing – on track Ongoing - delayed
6 1 0 5

HMICS Plan to undertake another Crime Audit in 2025 and recommend that all ongoing actions now remain open until the findings of the next inspection are published.

Ongoing activity will continue, and all target dates have now been extended to June 2025.

In August 2024, HMICS received a copy of the draft National Crime Management Process which will address the remaining actions.

Progress since last update

Notwithstanding above, 5 actions (Recs 2 to 6) remain open from the 2020 Crime Audit.

Recommendation 2 - Police Scotland should revise its current Crime Recording Strategy to focus on effective implementation and better consider the required level of cultural change required to improve SCRS compliance.

A Short Life Working was set up to progress the crime recording strategy, the Crime registrars are active members to ensure we can continue to uphold our commitment to SCRS Compliance and Crime Data integrity. The Crime Managers Forum in conjunction with the crime registrars will develop the Quality Assurance (QA) processes across crime and incident management to ensure nationally consistent QA arrangements and improved SCRS compliance.

The Crime Registrars have now completed their Data Integrity Audits across the force during the COS roll out and are currently in the process of reviewing their key findings and learning.

Evidence was submitted for review in July 2024 outlining the progress made to date. HMICS will further inspect progress in upcoming 2025 Crime Audit and recommend the action remain open until those findings are published.

Recommendation 3 - Police Scotland should review its overall approach to incident compliance, considering what constitutes best practice in quality assurance processes in C3, specialist units and front-line policing, establishing clear relative roles and responsibilities.

Recommendation 4 - Police Scotland should review crime management unit structures taking the opportunity to maximise the benefits of the new single national crime recording system.

A review of Divisional Crime Management structures has been conducted and draft proposal has been produced and is currently being shared internally.

Both of these recommendations are outlined within the draft National Crime Management Process report, shared with HMICS in August 2024. HMICS recommend that final closure now takes place after the planned HMICS Crime Audit in 2025

Recommendation 5 - Police Scotland should develop a comprehensive approach to organisational learning and training, with consistent approaches to the introduction of new or changes to legislation, to support delivery of its crime recording strategy more effectively.

There is now an element of SCRS within the training being delivered to probationers and the current Sergeants and tutor Constable courses. SCRS compliance is also covered on the SOLO and other sexual offences training courses and further information has been published on the Police Scotland intranet.

SCRS training is currently taking place to SIOs throughout March and September 2024.

Police Scotland have set up Short Life Working group to progress the training strategy and training strategy template. Once in place a crime recording strategy and review of the SCRS manual will be progressed.

Crime Registrars are also consulting with the resolution team within C3 to assist with the training of C3 staff.

This workstream is detailed within the draft National Crime Management Process report, which was sent to HMICS in August 2024. As with the others, HMICS now recommend that final closure only takes place after the planned HMICS Crime Audit in 2025

Recommendation 6 - It is recommended that the Police Scotland COS Programme review its approach to business change as part of the implementation of the new single national crime recording system, taking the opportunity to standardise and streamline business, audit and quality assurance processes.

Position: In July 2024 evidence was submitted to HMICS detailing the progress which has been made in respect of Data Governance and the creation of a Data Quality Group leading work to develop a Crime Data Input Quality Assurance Framework. The submission also outlined the planning work being undertaken by Data Governance and COS training packages which are now in place.

HMICS now recommend that final closure takes place after the planned HMICS Crime Audit in 2025

Challenges and Risks

The delay in the rollout of the National Crime system and competing demands for training delivery has impacted on the achievability of the target dates.