FBI National Executive Institute held at Police Scotland headquarters

The senior development course is aimed at police and law enforcement leaders and saw 45 delegates from the US and representatives of seven other nations undertake the second of three stages at Police Scotland headquarters, Tulliallan.

This is now the third year in a row the course has come to Scotland.

The visit, facilitated by Police Scotland’s International Development and Innovation Unit (IDIU), was addressed by several member of the force executive, including Chief Constable Jo Farrell and Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs, who has oversight of the IDIU.

Delegates heard about the Scottish approach to policing, the concept of policing by consent and the importance of maintaining public trust; keeping people safe in a digital world; and the public health approach to policing which Police Scotland has spearheaded in recent years.

Further lectures were delivered on policing under financial pressure, how to recruit and retain the best people, and a study on the impact of different types of leadership styles.

Practical demonstrations were also observed at the service’s training centre at Jackton on de-escalation tactics, facilitating peaceful protests, and a discussion on the use of force in Scotland, where most officers do not carry firearms.

Ms Farrell, said; “We welcome the opportunity to share not only our own story and experiences of service transformation, but to also exercise our professional curiosity and learn best practice from others.

“Law enforcement agencies and police services the world over can learn from each other, and the National Executive Institute’s decision to host another cycle with Police Scotland presents an opportunity to share information, ideas and policing strategies with others who share our dedication to public service.

“We have forged strong partnerships with the FBI and American law enforcement agencies over the years, most significantly since the Lockerbie bombing in 1988. By supporting collaborative work of this nature it ensures we can all be as well placed as possible to face the emerging leadership and policing challenges which lie ahead.”

Edward Caban, Police Commissioner for the New York Police Department, and a participant in this year’s NEI, said: “This is a great programme, allowing us to connect with both our domestic and international partners. We’ve talked about public safety being a shared responsibility and we have common goals to make sure our cities and people are safe and feel safe. No matter whether your organisation is small or large, we can all learn from each other, and that’s why we’re all here.”

Celeste Murphy, the first female chief of Chattanooga Police Department in Tennessee, said: “I really like the way you treat the community here by getting to the root of the problems, I find that really refreshing. Community policing is my passion, and we’re moving in the at direction in my department, our philosophies are very similar, and I’ll be taking some of your approaches back to my team to translate into how we carry out our roles.”

James Smith, Assistant Director of the FBI New York Field Office, said it has “been amazing to further develop the existing partnerships we have over here”.

“We’ve all been able to learn from each other and see how things are done here in Scotland,” he said. “How we police, how we do investigations and deal with the public in the United State looks different as a whole.

“However, we do learn from each other about how we can bring some of the techniques we’ve seen here back to the US and use them to our benefit.”

The first female department chief for Kansas City, Missouri, Stacey Graves, said: “I definitely took notice of how one of Police Scotland’s main approaches is looking at the wellbeing of the entire country and that police is viewed as a virtue.

“That approach goes into making sure that everybody and every community’s wellbeing is taken care of.”

Police Scotland and the FBI Training Division at Quantico have been engaged in a collaborative relationship since 2018, with officials from both organisations having undertaken research visits throughout that time.

The NEI is built on four pillars of study of emerging trends, enhancing partnerships, promotion wellness and seeking innovation in order to present leaders with the opportunity to engage on the challenges and opportunities which exist for today’s global leaders in policing.