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

Resources

The Authority has a responsibility to ensure that there is good governance and effective management of resources, with a focus on improvement, to deliver the best possible outcomes for the public. Duties are set out under:

- The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012

- The Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010

- The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014

Best Value

The Authority is required to make arrangements which secure best value for policing in Scotland.

Find out more about Best Value

Public Disclosure

The Authority is required to publish information on expenditure and certain other matters after the end of each financial year.

Find out more about Public Disclosure

Procurement

Procurement reform requires larger spending contracting authorities to publish procurement strategies and annual reports to aid visibility of purchasing activities and to set out how procurement obligations are met.

Find out more about Procurement

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Resources

Best Value

Public Disclosure

Procurement