Scores of world travelling police officers went to all five continents on secondments over the past year despite Police Scotland facing a frontline staffing crisis.
Officers have jetted off to Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia as Police Scotland seeks to “enhance and extend” its international footprint.
The biggest overseas posting involves almost 40 officers seconded to Malawi and Zambia in Southern Africa where there remain ongoing concerns over human rights abuses.
The news comes as Chief Constable Jo Farrell warns Police Scotland is at a “crossroads” financially and is demanding an extra £140million in next year’s budget to strengthen frontline policing.
Critics have questioned the use of public resources for international projects while Police Scotland have seen more than 1700 officers quit in the last two years.
Police Scotland maintains international engagement strengthens the force’s reputation and provides valuable experience for officers, helping them police Scotland’s diverse communities.
Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr MSP said: “Police Scotland officers can no doubt learn from their counterparts abroad, but the costs and regularity of these trips must be kept to an acceptable level.
“After years of sustained cuts by the SNP to the police budget, Scots expect the force to prioritise tackling crime here in Scotland.”
Police Scotland say 37 officers and two members of staff have been seconded to Malawi and Zambia.
The Scottish Government agreed to fund the three-year Malawi/Zambia programme – 2025-28 – which focuses on providing training to local officers on gender-based violence, sexual crime and child protection.
Police Scotland insist they only work with law enforcement services in other countries who recognise their “values of integrity, fairness and respect and human rights” – but have been criticised in the past for working with forces in Sri Lanka and Columbia.
Marian Pallister, chair of peace campaigners Pax Christi Scotland, said: “While respecting Police Scotland’s values of integrity, fairness and respect and human rights, as an organisation working for a non-violent world, we believe that those values can be compromised if the wrong partners are chosen – either for financial reasons or at the behest of the Westminster government.”
Overseas postings are organised by Police Scotland’s International Academy (IA) based at Tulliallan Castle in Kincardine, Fife, and say they increase “skills, knowledge and understanding of international communities”.
Several officers have been seconded to deliver training to international forces or participate in advanced skills programmes.
Cops have also travelled around 10,000 miles to work and train with the Australian Federal Police and more than 8000 miles to the Falkland Islands – where Police Scotland is twinned with the local Royal Falkland Islands Police (RFIP).
Under the Global Police Innovation Exchange Leadership Programme (GPXLP), some superintendents visited Australia and Singapore where they worked on “tackling global policing challenges”.
Two other officers were stationed in the Falkland Islands to bolster the RFIP which faced recruitment challenges and a lack of “operational policing experience”.
A detective sergeant and uniform sergeant spent three months stationed on the British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic, 300 miles from the coast of South America.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy (FBINA) offered Police Scotland the chance to send a chief inspector to join a partly funded 10-week leadership development programme at their training academy in Quantico, Virginia, in the US.
Another chief inspector flew back and forward to take part in a five-month University of Chicago Police Leadership Programme, undertaking a research project with an international focus but linked to policing challenges in Scotland – increased knife crime and the review of Stop and Search policy.
They had to spend one week a month in the Windy City under the programme fully funded by the American university.
Police Scotland say while their main purpose is to improve the safety and well-being of communities in Scotland – “national and international dimensions to poverty, justice, inequality and climate change are interlinked”.
The IA also hosts study courses at Tulliallan for various law enforcement agencies from around the world.
A force report says: “These inbound tours are fully cost recovered… this ensures the work of the International Academy is delivered at no financial cost to the taxpayer.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “It is a matter for the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to agree the details of any training programme abroad, with oversight and scrutiny of their decisions being provided by the Scottish Police Authority.
“Where appropriate, Scottish Ministers may be approached for approval of certain deployments in accordance with the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012.
“This recently included approval for deployments in Malawi and Zambia”.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We have a strong international reputation for our delivery of innovative training to overseas police services, both through undertaking in-country deployments and hosting delegations at our Tulliallan headquarters and beyond.”
