Who We Are

The Scottish Police Authority is independent of both the Scottish Government and policing. It is the primary governance body for policing in Scotland, and was established as a public body on 1 April 2013 by the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012. It was set up to hold the Chief Constable to account; promote, support and oversee improvement in policing. It is also responsible for the management and delivery of Forensic Services in Scotland and Independent Custody Visiting Scotland.

In this section, find out more about the Authority’s priorities, the Board and the Leadership team.

Who We Are

What We Do

The Scottish Police Authority is responsible for maintaining policing. It has four specific areas of responsibility:

promoting the policing principles

supporting continuous improvement

keeping policing under review

holding the Chief Constable to account.

This section tells you in outline what the Authority does.

What We Do

Complaints

Are you dissatisfied with the service you have received from policing in Scotland?

The Scottish Police Authority, Police Scotland and the Police Investigations and Reviews Commissioner (PIRC) all have a role to play in considering complaints about policing in Scotland.

In this section, find out who to direct your complaint to. We also welcome written communication in Gaelic (see our Gaelic Language Plan).

Complaints

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This page offers some more detailed insight into new developments and important topics for policing in Scotland.

Policing in Scotland

The Scottish Police Authority aims to build public trust and confidence in policing through accountable, proportionate and transparent oversight and scrutiny.

This section offers more detailed insight into current issues for policing in Scotland.

Find out more about Policing in Scotland

This Week in Policing and Justice

The Authority is an outward, engaging organisation responsible for the continuous improvement of policing in Scotland.

In this section, you will find a selected overview of key developing issues across policing and justice.

The content does not necessarily represent the views or positions taken by the Authority.

Find out more about This Week in Policing

Advisors' Analysis

The Authority's research team are regularly horizon scanning and reviewing information from a wider range of sources to support our scrutiny and oversight of policing in Scotland.

Find out more about Advisors' Analysis

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Policing in Scotland

This Week in Policing and Justice

Advisors' Analysis