Updates

Martyn Evans Retirement

Martyn Evans appointment as Chair of the Scottish Police Authority came to an end on 31 January 2025. I am grateful to Members, the Chief Executive, Chief Constable, Director of Forensic Services and all of our stakeholders who helped celebrate this milestone and mark Martyn’s retirement from policing.

The Scottish Government expects to announce the appointment of a new Chair in the coming weeks.

Committee Membership

We have three of our current members, Grant Macrae, Catriona Stewart and Caroline Stuart, concluding their appointment terms on 31 March 2025. I will say more about their contribution at our March Board meeting.

In preparation for their departure, I am recommending several changes to our committee membership/responsibilities, to help manage immediate pressures. For ease of reference, I have appended a full list of the Committee and Oversight Group membership as recommended from 1 April 2025. I have discussed these changes with members and seek approval to appoint as listed below, effective from 1 April 2025:

• Chris Creegan as Chair of the Legal Committee;
• Chris Creegan as a member of the Complaints Committee;
• Pauline Howie as Chair of the Resources Committee;
• Pauline Howie as a member of the Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee;
• Angela Leitch as a member of the People Committee;
• Mary Pitcaithly as a member of the Legal Committee.

I am also recommending the appointment of Angela Leitch as the Authority’s Whistleblowing Champion, with immediate effect.

It is expected that the next Chair of the Authority will conduct a wider review of committee membership and commitments once new Board Members join the Authority later this year.

Anti-Racist Training

On 10 February Board Members and the Authority’s Executive team took part in an in person anti-racist training session. The training involves a programme of education and reflection by Members of Police Scotland’s Professional Reference Group. The training is part of the effort across policing to build an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory policing service which better reflects and represents all our communities.

Live Facial Recognition – National Conversation

In June 2024, the Authority and the Biometrics Commissioner signalled the need for a national conversation to explore the potential use of Live Facial Recognition by Police Scotland. Plans for this national conversation are now well developed with focus groups, public polling, surveying and a national conference planned over the coming months to collect insights from the public and stakeholders about their perception and understanding of Live Facial Recognition. This national conversation seeks to reach a broad consensus on whether, or not, Police Scotland should invest more time and effort developing a policy and procedure on the use of such technology.

It is currently anticipated that the outcome of the national conversation will be presented to the Authority’s Policing Performance Committee in June 2025, along with a recommendation from Police Scotland on whether, or not, the adoption of Live Facial Recognition technology will be explored further. Members will be kept informed as the conversation develops.

Recorded Police Warnings Webinar

On the 11 December, the Authority and Police Scotland hosted a webinar with representatives from the criminal justice system to discuss Police Scotland’s use of direct measures.

The event aimed to provide the public with a greater understanding of direct measures and address any issues or concerns around their use. A short highlights video was prepared which summarises the event and the key discussion points of the day.

The event included input from Police Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscals Service (COPFS), Community Justice Scotland and an academic at Edinburgh University.

Questions submitted by the public and stakeholders ahead of the event informed the session where panel members gave their thoughts on the proportionality of use of direct measures, overcoming inconsistency in the use of direct measures, and empowering police officers to use their discretion.

I am grateful to our partners for taking the time to contribute to this event and to the public for their engagement. The Authority’s oversight of these measures will continue. The development of research and evidence to appropriately assess the effectiveness of direct measures will be an area of focus going forward and inform future events on this and similar topics.

COSLA Presidential Meeting

A recent COSLA Presidential meeting took place at Tulliallan on Thursday 23 January involving the former Chair, Chief Constable and DCC Connors who met with COSLA President and COSLA Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing. These six-monthly meetings provide an opportunity for a discussion on strategic direction and alignment as well as opportunities for collaboration.

We discussed the key areas of focus in Police Scotland’s 3-year business plan, such as community policing, capital investment and the estates masterplan. There was also a discussion on future opportunities for alignment around localism and oversight of local policing; engagement in the national conversation on Live Facial Recognition; wide sector collaboration; and understanding public trust.

Policing mental health, distress and vulnerability

Members are aware that the Authority is actively engaged with and supporting a Partnership Delivery Group looking at how policing can effectively support and direct individuals who are in mental health distress.

The group, which involves policing, NHS partners, the third and community sector and the Scottish Government, has developed and published a Framework for Collaboration and Collaborative Commitments. The framework and commitments build on the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy co-sponsored by COSLA and Scottish Government.

Collectively, these documents promote the collaborative approach required to support individuals in mental health distress or crisis who are in contact with the police, to access more appropriate services and support as quickly as possible.

The Authority’s Policing Performance Committee will monitor progress and impact of the approach with the first report scheduled for September 2025.

Joint Research and Evidence Forum

The Authority’s Joint Research and Evidence Forum (JREF) hosted a knowledge exchange event in partnership with Police Scotland and the Scottish Institute for Policing research on Tuesday 4 February. The event, focused on the importance of evidence informed practice, was the first in a series of knowledge exchange and learning sessions taking place over the next 12-months.

Attendees heard from R. Mark Evans and Bruce O’Brien about the policing approach in New Zealand, using evidence to inform operational policing practice. Mark and Bruce focused on the principles of evidence informed practice, such as creating a culture of learning and innovation; building strong partnerships; integrating this approach into business as usual; and promoting the contribution that evidence informed practice to frontline policing.

I am grateful to Mark and Bruce for their input as well as our expert panel members HMICS Craig Naylor, Susan McVie, Liz Aston, DCC Alan Speirs, Adam Crawford, and Nerys Thomas.

Feedback from delegates has been very positive, and we hope to build on this energy and commitment as we develop and deliver our seminar series over the coming 12-month period. More detail on the event, including presentations, can be found on the Authority’s website.