Background

Police Scotland commissioned a review of all complaints and conduct matters which contained “sexual circumstances”
between 1st January 2017 and 21st October 2021. This involved external reports to Police Scotland and also
internal reports concerning officers and staff. The review was to ensure the organisation had discharged its
responsibilities relating to the management of risk and had thoroughly investigated all matters in line with
relevant legislation, powers and regulations.

The review focused on complaints and conduct allegations reported across the following business areas:

Complaints about the Police
Referrals through Professional Standards Department (PSD) Gateway Assessment Unit
Anti-Corruption Unit related referrals, intelligence reports and investigations
PSD Misconduct
Vetting

An overview of grievance related matters was also included to highlight the scale, range and outcomes involved.

Progress / Preventions - Update

Of the 19 recommendations from the PSD Case Review, 15 are complete and 3 are currently in progress, and 1 is
being considered under another PSD work stream. (Appendix 1).

Work continues to promote Our Standards of Professional Behaviour Programme through the PSD Preventions and
Professionalism Tactical Group and the “Standards” campaign with the 7th standard “Orders and Instructions”
being published in May 2023.

Historical Data Wash (HDW) Exercise - In January 2023, Deputy Chief Constable Professionalism, Strategy and
Engagement announced that Police Scotland would check all officers and staff against the Police National
Database (PND), in line with work being taken forward in England and Wales at the request of the Home Secretary.
This work is ongoing and a Strategic Oversight Group, Tactical Group and Review Group are in place to provide
governance. These Groups feed into likewise NPCC governance groups to ensure cohesion.

A Police Scotland preventative quarterly internal publication of misconduct outcomes scheme was published on the
13th April 2023.

PSD has also launched a quarterly internal newsletter “The Standard” to provide preventions messaging to officers
and staff to enhance standards, communicating key themes and trends arising from complaints and conduct
investigations to prevent a recurrence and to enhance service delivery to the public.

A PSD Domestic Abuse Case Review is underway covering instances between 01 January 20 and 31 January 23 with 206
cases reviewed for the period. Of these, there are 5 cases which have been reviewed by the Domestic Abuse Task
Force with additional lines of enquiry identified.

A further PSD Case Review in respect of Professional Boundaries covering instances between 22 October 2021 and
31 January 2023 will also be carried out. To date, research of relevant cases has been conducted to identify cases.

Police Scotland continues to have visible representation across relevant groups led by National Police Chiefs
Council (NPCC) to ensure it remains abreast of trends as well as current in respect of broader organisational
good practice and learning.

Police Scotland continues to actively encourage and support the reporting and challenging of inappropriate
behaviour through facilitation of internal, external and anonymous reporting mechanisms.