The Scottish Biometrics Commissioner has raised concerns about the quality of custody photographs taken by Police Scotland of people they arrest. In a new report, Commissioner Dr Brian Plastow said a “sizeable proportion” of custody images taken between 2019 and 2024 are of such low qual
Police
Police Scotland’s investigation of historical and unresolved murders, their response to allegations of child abuse, and their policing of serious and organised crime groups are among topics HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) has selected for review in its three-year inspection
Police in Glasgow held children in custody for extended periods without recording a reason, inspectors have found. A joint review by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) and Healthcare Improvement Scotland examined custody centres at London Road, Govan, and Cathcart police stations in
The Scottish Police Federation has called for the introduction of 'night courts' to address the criminal backlog in Scotland's justice system. David Kennedy, speaking at the Scottish Labour conference in Glasgow, said extending opening times of courts is the only way to tackle the backlog.
A bill to "further improve" police complaints and police conduct procedures has been passed by the Scottish Parliament. The Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill aims to ensure allegations of misconduct among police officers and staff are dealt with more transparently and effectively
The number of police officers quitting to follow other careers should be a wake-up call for the Scottish government, Scottish Labour has warned. Scottish Labour's Pauline McNeill urged the SNP to reverse this trend as soon as possible before burn out creates a "snowball effect".
The Children and Young People’s Commissioner has launched an investigation into Police Scotland’s use of force against children. Data from the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) shows that children in Scotland are more than twice as likely to experience use of force by the police than adult
The Scottish government must listen to the needs of police officers and staff as new figures revealed that officer numbers have dropped by over 1,000 since Police Scotland was formed, the Lib Dems have said. As at the end of June this year, the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers fe
Rogue police officers should be subject to criminal proceedings, a watchdog has said. The chief inspector of constabulary in Scotland, Craig Naylor, has given his backing to legislation to enact the change.
The UK's most notorious cold cases could be solved using AI. Police chiefs think that cloud-based software Söze could be fed huge quantities of information to help detectives crack unsolved cases.
Every community in Scotland is to have local police officers, the chief constable has promised. Jo Farrell outlined the plan as part of her vision for 2030 in which she detailed ambitions for safer communities, less crime, supported victims, and a “thriving workforce”.
More than a million calls to Police Scotland’s 101 crime hotline have been ignored over the past two years, new figures show. The number is used as an alternative to 999 for the public to report crimes including antisocial behaviour, assaults and vandalism.
Police officers' time is being wasted in court, Chief Constable Jo Farrell has said. Appearing before Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee yesterday, she said that as many as 500 officers are taken away from their duties every day to appear in court, with most not even giving evidence.
The number of full-time police officers in Scotland has fallen to its lowest level since 2007. Data from Scotland's chief statistician show that there were 16,207 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers on June 30, a decline of 148 since March 31.
Millions of pounds are being wasted on unnecessary court appearances by police officers as it emerged that in one case they were summoned to give evidence against a dead man. The Scottish Police Federation said that 750 officers in northern Scotland have been cited since January, yet only 26 gave ev