SPA oversight - Policing in the public interest

The principle of “policing in the public interest” sits at the core of the Authority’s oversight approach to policing in Scotland. The Authority’s Corporate Plan 2020-23 committed to a vision of ‘policing in the public interest’ which underpins delivery of an agreed set of strategic outcomes. The public polling undertaken by the Authority forms a core part of this vision; understanding public perceptions and drivers of opinion aids and informs oversight of policing in Scotland.

The effectiveness of this approach was demonstrated in the SPA pandemic polling which provided understanding of the public’s experiences of policing in a time where policing powers and demands had significantly increase.