Background and Next Steps

BACKGROUND

We have developed a long-term vision for Police Scotland. We have also developed a Three-Year Business Plan which sets out the commitments we are making to improve our organisation and the service we deliver to the public.

Realising our long-term vision will represent significant change and we will work with partners whenever we can to deliver the best results.

The 2030 vision for Police Scotland is of an organisation that is focussed on achieving:

• safer communities across Scotland;
• less crime;
• better support for victims; and
• building a thriving workforce.

Our focus is on strengthening the impact of our frontline as we work towards that vision. We acknowledge the high level of demand placed on our police officers and staff every day and are committed to supporting our workforce to manage that demand better.

Our longer-term vision means that:

• we will work with partners to better define the police role when dealing with vulnerable people;
• we will work with partners to drive improvement across the Criminal Justice system to free officers up from unreasonable and unnecessary demands;
• we will ensure that police officers and staff are supported and equipped with the right training, the right equipment and the right data at their fingertips to deliver the best possible service; and
• we will maintain progress towards becoming a truly inclusive, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory service.

Our plan to 2027 sets out clearly where we will focus and invest as we move forward on the journey to a more sustainable and affordable model of policing – this is the next wave of policing reform and a major opportunity to improve the organisation and the service that Police Scotland delivers.

Next Steps

DCC Jane Connors is leading Operation Evolve and has co-ordinated the work we have undertaken to get to this point. She will continue to drive us towards delivery of our long-term plan. Engagement with partners will be further strengthened as we progress.

Our ambition is to strengthen and embrace a culture that empowers our people to exercise their professional judgement to get things done and to deliver a high-quality service to communities across Scotland. We will support our people to achieve that and we are confident that this commitment to service is shared by our partners. We do not need to wait until 2030 to see significant improvement if we continue to work, plan and prioritise successfully together.

Police Scotland’s focus every day will be the delivery of our vision of a thriving workforce – police officers, staff and volunteers who work to deliver safer communities, who reduce crime and who support victims effectively.