Oversight and assurance

The Authority produced the first factsheet on Police Scotland’s use of drones in October 2021.

The Authority oversees Police Scotland’s use of drones at the Policing Performance Committee, through the examination of publicly available operational use and performance reports.  The Authority’s focus is on compliance with the Code of Practice, the benefit to the public and return on the investment in new technology. Police Scotland regularly report data to the Committee on the deployment of drones as part of policing activities.

An important milestone is the recent Draft Police Scotland Air Support Strategy, presented to the Authority in June 2024. As part of this paper, Police Scotland have proposed the development of ‘drone hubs’, to provide more localised support and to better cover Scotland as a whole. This will require Police Scotland to analyse its demand and optimise capabilities, whilst also continuing to understand evolving technology in this space.

As Police Scotland seek to implement commitments in the Air Support Strategy, the Authority will continue to provide assurances to the public. This would include ensuring that any adoption of new technology will adhere to the Rights Based Pathway.

Furthermore, as Police Scotland undertakes the development of the Revised Model of Policing, the Authority will engage with Police Scotland to understand how evolving public safety needs and demand will be considered in this work.