Police Scotland outlines vision to strengthen the front line and reconnect with communities
Every community in Scotland will have identifiable local officers as part of an ambitious new vision for Police Scotland.
Chief Constable Jo Farrell made the pledge as she outlined how policing will evolve to meet existing and new challenges.
Police Scotland’s 2030 vision for policing is focused on safer communities, less crime, supported victims, and a thriving workforce.
It is accompanied by a three-year business plan with more than 130 milestones Police Scotland aims to achieve by March 2027.
These include a new cyber and fraud division to tackle the growing demand of online crime and strengthened vetting and misconduct regulations to safeguard standards and integrity.
A greater role for police staff in jobs that do not need policing powers is also planned, with improved efficiency in back offices through greater use of artificial intelligence and technology to automate paperwork.
Ms Farrell said: “The reform of policing in Scotland removed £200 million from the annual cost base compared to legacy arrangements while improving service to the public.
“To strengthen the front line, reconnect with communities, and respond to emerging threats when the outlook for public finances is challenging, we must progress the next phase of police reform.
“Our vision and values set the guiding principles and ambitions for policing and our business plan details the steps we are taking to deliver for our communities and our workforce, relentlessly prioritising frontline services.
“This is a positive and ambitious vision and plan for policing and, while we outline milestones taking us to 2027, our approach will remain flexible and subject to funding.
“I’ve asked Deputy Chief Constable Jane Connors to take strategic oversight of this vital work and she had established Operation Evolve to drive the changes necessary to deliver safer communities, less crime, supported victims, and a thriving workforce.
“We will continue to share further information on individual workstreams as progress is made.”
The business plan covers the period 2024/25 to 2026/27.
Key milestones already progressed include Police Scotland’s role in the implementation of the Digital Evidence Sharing Capability, the contract award for a national roll out of body-worn video, and the establishment of a Mental Health Taskforce. With the support of partners, this will deliver the necessary system-wide efficiencies in the criminal justice system and in the care for people in mental health crisis required to enable sustainable and effective policing.
Year one milestones include the delivery of an estates masterplan and ten-year investment profile to take a strategic approach to which police buildings should be kept, improved or sold and how they should be used to deliver co-location with partners, better working environments for officers and staff, financial savings, and provide the accessible and visible policing service the public needs and values.
Police Scotland is developing a budget proposal for 2025/26 to support the second year of the business plan and further milestones will also require investment.
Police Scotland’s 2030 vision, three-year business plan and an update on estates are due to be discussed at a public meeting of the Scottish Police Authority Board in Edinburgh on Thursday (September 26).