Under a new community policing model being implemented across Scotland, victims and witnesses get an improved local service, including more dependable appointments and quicker investigations.
Forth Valley, Fife, and Tayside areas are already operating the model which has also recently been expanded to Highland and Islands, Argyll and West Dunbartonshire, Edinburgh and Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.
The approach draws clearer lines around the role of response officers, introduces a community investigations team, and will introduce additional community police officers across the country.
Areas already operating under the model report significant improvements in keeping local policing appointments, which were often cancelled when officers had to respond to emergencies.
There have been improvements on how quickly reports from the public about non-emergency incidents are assigned and progressed, while reducing pressure on response officers.
Although the new model makes better use of resources, community officers continue to be re-directed to support emergency response and to police events.
Chief Constable Jo Farrell said: “I want the public to have the best possible local policing, whether that’s the response to an emergency, reliable and timely support around non-emergencies, or identifiable and accessible officers who work with citizens and our partners to build cohesive and resilient communities which feel safe and experience less crime.
“The results so far are encouraging. Response officers are under less pressure and we’re progressing non-emergencies more reliably and in a way that enables local officers to listen to victims and witnesses.
“But community officers are still too often required to support emergency response and police events, drawing them away from the policing which strengthens community relations to solve shared problems, prevent crime and build cohesion and resilience.
“So, while this model makes the best use of the resources we have, I am asking government to support us to put an additional 350 officers into those crucial community teams over the coming years.”
The Policing For Our Communities local policing model was developed based on over 1,000 interactions with officers, staff, members of the public, and key local partners, to understand where we needed to change local policing.
The model uses richer demand data, including travel time around rural incidents, and how many people and how long different incidents need. This approach provides a clear and evidenced understanding of what resource we need, and where and when we need it. The new community policing model is expected to be in place nationally by March 2027.
A complementary approach to local public protection and crime will begin a proof of concept by the end of 2026 in North East Division and Highland and Islands Division.
The investigations and safeguarding project will deliver a new model to modernise how we deliver investigations and safeguarding services across local policing as part of our overarching response to the violence against women and girls emergency.
It will create a more nationally consistent, sustainable and victim-centred approach to investigations and safeguarding through improved victim care, better resource utilisation and more effective investigative capabilities.
As part of the new approach to local policing, Police Scotland is also developing how we deliver frontline support services, such as licensing to reduce duplication and increase efficiency.
Further details about the public protection and crime model and the approach to delivering frontline support services will be shared as progress is made.
