Further detail

Association of Police and Crime Commissioners July meeting

The Authority attended the meeting of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) on 10 and 11 July 2024, the first since the Police and Crime Commissioner elections in May of this year. As an Associate Member, alongside other Associate Members - Jersey Police Authority, British Transport Police Authority, Civil Nuclear Police Authority, City of London Police Authority and the Ministry of Defence Police Committee - the Authority participates in all General Meetings and inputs to the portfolio work of the APCC as relevant.

In July we considered updates on vehicle crime, police race action planning, substance misuse and addictions, the work of the Independent Office for Police Conduct, rural crime, roads policing, and cyber security. These updates and discussions are a great opportunity to share practice and learning and look at opportunities for collaboration and improvement. As we look ahead to the next meeting in October, the Authority is considering what practice in Scotland we can share with the wider membership of the association.

Anti-Social Behaviour Working Group

Following the Authority’s public polling work undertaken in August 2023, we have been providing support to the Scottish Government’s Independent Working Group on Anti-Social Behaviour. Authority staff have presented findings from our polling to the group, which give insights into perception and prevalence of Anti-Social Behaviour in local communities and detail the types of Anti-Social Behaviour causing most concern, as well as sharing early findings and insights from our Community Confidence Action Research project.

Following input to the Working Group, Authority staff have supported further discussions on data, insights and evidence around Anti-Social Behaviour and are working to support further engagement and analysis by the group. The Authority public polling currently underway for August 2024 is also repeating the key questions on Anti-Social Behaviour that were asked in August 2023 to create deeper insights into prevalence and perception.

Policing Productivity Review

In November 2023, the Home Office published an independent report into productivity in policing. The Policing Productivity Review was to identify ways in which forces across England and Wales can be more productive and improve outcomes.

The report makes 26 recommendations on policing in England and Wales, which aim to free up police time and shape the best possible policing service from the resource available. The Review includes a view on how forces should be using good practice with the adoption of science and technology.

The Authority has been reviewing the report to understand any relevance to policing in Scotland. A range of demand and performance metrics were included in the report, which have allowed for comparison with available data from Police Scotland. The review has not identified any areas of focus for the Authority which are currently under active consideration. Recommendations that are relevant to Scotland, are being mapped against ongoing work within the policing system in Scotland.

Coronavirus Legislation

At the outset of the Coronavirus Pandemic in 2020, the Scottish Parliament passed legislation to support public health measures and efforts to manage the coronavirus pandemic. The legislation recognised the exceptional circumstances and the impact of the pandemic on the delivery of justice. Extensions were granted to certain statutory time limits contained in the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (“the 1995 Act”). Statutory time-limits were lengthened from 6 months to 12 months throughout the pandemic and beyond to allow the criminal justice system to recover without cases being lost.

The Scottish Parliament will consider whether the statutory time-limits will revert to their substantive 6 months from 1 December 2024. Should this be agreed, this will impact on SPA Forensic Services and Police Scotland. Forensic Services are currently working with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Police Scotland to plan for this return to 6 months and ensure readiness across the policing system.