Annual Review Of Policing Improving policing for Scotland s communities

Transcription

1 Annual Review Of Policing Improving policing for Scotland s communities

2 SCOTTISH SCOTTISH POLICE POLICE AUTHORITY ANNUAL REVIEW OF OF POLICING Contents Chair s Foreword 4 Chief Constable s comments 6 Introduction 9 Assessment of Performance 12 Operational Policing 19 Service Transformation 25 Leadership And Governance 30 Appendix: Evidence submitted to SPA by Local Authorities 34 2

3 Annual Review of Policing This Annual Review of Policing is available to members of the public electronically from the SPA website at: Laid before the Scottish Parliament by the Scottish Police Authority in pursuance of Section 39 of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 (20 November 2018) 3

4 Chair s Foreword Policing is a vital and complex public service which works across the public, private and, increasingly, virtual space to keep people and communities safe. Every hour of every day police officers and staff work tirelessly to protect us, often putting themselves in harm s way to do so. This is something we must never take for granted. Police Scotland is the UK s second largest police force, with a budget of more that 1billion and a workforce of more than 22,000 people. Now in its fifth year of operation as a single national police service, Police Scotland is delivering a wide range of high quality services and support to all of Scotland s towns, cities and rural and island communities, and is working ever more closely with other organisations and public services to do so effectively and imaginatively. As Chair of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), I have no hesitation in saying that we have a police service in Scotland that is rooted in strong foundations and values and of which we can be immensely proud. But, like every public service - and indeed every organisation - there is always room for improvement. Increasing demand; financial pressures; 4 SUSAN DEACON CBE SPA CHAIR new and emerging patterns of crime; developments in science and technology and changes in how we live and work, all have implications for our police service and require it to constantly change and adapt. The Scottish Police Authority has a statutory responsibility to maintain, improve and review policing. We also have a statutory duty to hold the Chief Constable to account for the effective delivery of policing. So, in short, it is our job both to challenge and to support Police Scotland. In fulfilling our responsibilities, it is vital that the SPA operates to the highest standards; that we put in place the systems, practices and culture that are rightly expected of an effective public body and that we communicate openly and transparently across all our decision making and activities.

5 Policing by consent is a principle which lies at the core of our police service and the Authority has a vital role to play in ensuring this is achieved. Building public trust and confidence in any public service is important, in policing it is utterly critical, and so it is essential that the SPA works tirelessly to improve our efforts to provide a trusted, informed and evidence based assessment of the performance of our police service to the people of Scotland. This Annual Review of Policing for the period to March 2018 provides an assessment of policing in Scotland based on a range of information and sources. It has been enhanced by valuable perspectives and insights from all of Scotland s 32 local authorities and we are very grateful for their input. The overall picture is one of a strong police service delivering a high standard of service across the country. Importantly, there is clear evidence of much greater engagement of policing with local authorities and local planning, coupled with significant benefits accruing from the sharing of specialist capability and the development of national standards right across the country. All of this should provide important reassurance to the public that our police service is working well. I would be the first to say, however, that we should never be complacent and that there is much more to be done to develop the SPA s assessment of how our police service is performing and to ensure that there is effective and proportionate scrutiny of policing in Scotland. These are key areas for attention within the Authority in the year to come. As outlined in this report, the last year has seen a number of significant steps taken to strengthen and develop leadership and governance in both Police Scotland and the SPA. These changes give us a strong platform to build upon in the year ahead. Looking forward, we should be in no doubt about the scale of the challenge. Police Scotland is now embarked upon an ambitious programme of transformation and change which will require strong and collaborative leadership; significant investment; high standards of financial stewardship; an enhanced focus on workforce development and involvement and a constant emphasis on effective communication and engagement. Strengthening and developing the Authority s role in capturing, developing and understanding more fully the performance of policing is an area of priority for the year ahead and is essential if we are to effectively fulfil our role in driving improvement in policing. The Authority requires to continue to build its capability in this area, both in our Board and staff team, and to draw in from multiple sources a range of information, research and opinion which will ultimately provide a more textured and informed picture of how policing in Scotland is performing. This is all work in progress, but I am confident that with the right people, purpose and values, we can ensure that the people of Scotland have a police service, and a police authority, which is fit for purpose, fit for the future and in which they can have confidence and trust. 5

6 Chief Constable s comments Policing in Scotland has faced rising demands and unique challenges over the last year. However, we have come through this period with renewed purpose, continuing to deliver vital policing services to the public. This could not have been done without the hard work, commitment and dedication of our people, and the support of the communities we serve. IAIN LIVINGSTONE QPM CHIEF CONSTABLE Delivering Effective Operational Policing We have worked with citizens and partners to ensure effective and responsive operational policing to protect people, reduce harm and improve community wellbeing. During 2017/18, a number of terrorist incidents took place within the UK resulting in the level of threat from international terrorism being increased temporarily from severe to critical in May and September. We successfully mobilised an effective response to this increased threat in order to protect Scotland and support the UK counter-terrorism network. Tackling crime is one vital element of the diverse range of challenges and demands placed upon policing services. Recorded crime remains low across most crime types compared to past trends, including a reduction in homicides, particularly where a knife was used, and the lowest level of domestic housebreakings in five years. Last year also saw the implementation of the new Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act, which altered fundamental police powers and processes relating to arrest and custody. The training and support provided, allied to the professionalism of our people, ensured successful transition. As I reflect on all that was achieved last year, my focus remains on the future 6

7 of Police Scotland, ensuring the service continues to evolve and improve. To do this I will prioritise the following key areas: Delivering Integrated and Agile Support for Operational Policing The demands on policing in Scotland continue to grow and Police Scotland must evolve to address this in the most effective and efficient way. Our long term strategy for the future of policing, published in June 2017, is designed to improve front-line policing and deliver better outcomes for the public and communities of Scotland. Our focus is on change that enables the service and our people to improve productivity and effectiveness and deliver a better service. Investment in our digital, data and ICT capability is a key component of our approach to change and enablement. Policing in Local Communities Local policing delivery is at the heart of our service and, as part of the change process, I am committed to provide the best of local policing supported by the strength of the national service. The service can provide safety and security because of the nature of our single structure. Finding the right balance between national and local approaches will strengthen the autonomy of Local Policing Commanders to deliver policing that meets the needs of local communities, within a framework that sets national standards of service and performance. Empowering, Enabling and Developing Our People A key focus for me over the last year has been the development and support of the people within Police Scotland. Our people drive the success of policing and I greatly value their contribution. We have developed a People Strategy to focus on wellbeing, empowerment and leadership to enable them to achieve their full potential. Wellbeing is extremely important and this year we launched the Your Wellbeing Matters programme. This raises awareness of wellbeing issues and sets out the wide range of support available to our people and their families. Work to deliver our People Strategy is now gathering pace and as we build momentum, our people will begin to feel the impact of positive change, enabling them to deliver a better service. Much has been achieved in the past year, both in terms of operational delivery and planning for the future. Policing in Scotland is well placed to continue to improve as a result of the dedication of our people. I would like to thank our officers and staff, and acknowledge the contribution of partners, for their service to Scotland over the last year. The challenge for Police Scotland now is to lead and drive the necessary change and to build on the values, ethos and traditions of policing in Scotland to provide a service that meets future demand in an effective, efficient and sustainable way. 7

8 Introduction 8

9 Introduction 1. The Annual Review of Policing This Annual Review of Policing contains an assessment of the Scottish Police Authority s and Police Scotland s performance towards achieving the objectives of the Strategic Police Plan (Policing 2026: Serving a Changing Scotland), and Police Scotland s delivery of the commitments in the Annual Police Plan. The requirement for the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) to prepare an Annual Review is set out at paragraph 39 of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 (the Act). The Annual Review of Policing is a separate publication from the Authority s Annual Report and Accounts. 2. SPA s Approach to Preparing the Annual Review of Policing Legislation requires that within three months of the end of a reporting year, the Chief Constable must provide the Authority with a report that sets out the Chief Constable s assessment of the Police Service s performance during that year. In preparing this Annual Review the Authority considered this assessment and evaluated a range of evidence submitted by Police Scotland. In doing so, the Authority considered the extent to which planned commitments for had been delivered and the impact that they had made. The Authority also assessed its own performance in carrying out its functions and statutory responsibilities. In doing so, the Authority considered a range of evidence, including improvement activity that the Authority carried out over the year. This review is organised under three key headings; Operational Policing; Service Transformation; Leadership and Governance. Where relevant, the Authority considered evidence and perspectives from key policing stakeholders and scrutiny partners, for example local authorities and Her Majesty s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS). This external evidence helps to inform the Authority s overall assessment of policing performance throughout the year. The Review also considers key statistics, and comments on trends in relation to crime and the Authority s response to key recommendations made by external inspections and audits. 9

10 3. Evidence from Local Authorities The SPA invited all Scottish Local Authorities to contribute their views to the Review given their lead role in local scrutiny of policing. The Authority allowed more time for this process than had been the case in previous years. This enabled local authorities to submit views and evidence on Police Scotland s performance, engagement and support during the year. The Authority also asked local scrutiny partners what more the SPA could do to support them. Responses from local authorities showed high levels of satisfaction and confidence in policing at a local level. Key overall themes in the responses included: Police Scotland s support for local scrutiny over the course of the year was effective; There was evidence of strong alignment between local police plans and other local strategies and local outcome improvement plans; There was a desire for increased SPA and Police Scotland engagement with local authorities, and several local authorities would welcome an increased role for the Authority in bringing key partners together, strengthening engagement at a national and local level and fostering the sharing of best practice in local scrutiny and engagement. 4. Context: the First Five Years 1 April 2018 marked the fifth anniversary of the creation of Police Scotland. The legislation to enable reform, the Police and Fire (Scotland) Act 2012 Act (the Act), established a distinctive new purpose for Police Scotland in the Policing Principles : to improve the safety and wellbeing of persons, localities and communities in Scotland and to work in collaboration with others in a way which is accessible to, and engaged with, local communities, and promotes measures to prevent crime, harm and disorder. The legislation also set out the main functions of the Authority: to maintain the Police Service, promote the policing principles, promote and support continuous improvement in policing and hold the Chief Constable to account for the policing of Scotland. Over those first five years access to specialist policing resources across Scotland has improved, unnecessary duplication of support services has reduced, and priority has been given to protecting and improving front-line policing capacity. The latest evaluation report on the effectiveness of police reform was published on 18 May 2018 by the Scottish Institute for Police Research (SIPR), ScotCen Social Research and What Works Scotland. That report provides an independent view of the extent to which the intentions underpinning the Act have been delivered, as well as identifying areas for further work and improvement. The findings of the report, along with reports from HMICS and others, are consistent with the Authority s previous Annual Reviews of policing which have identified significant progress since

11 Benefits delivered by police reform to date include: every area of Scotland is more equally served and protected by the same high level of specialist policing in serious crime investigations, organised crime and counter-terrorism; frontline policing resources have been prioritised while financial savings have been delivered through reducing duplication of support services in the nine organisations replaced by Police Scotland; each local authority decides for itself how to scrutinise local policing and, with its community planning partners, decides how to integrate local policing plans within its Local Outcome Improvement Plan. Significantly more locally elected Members now engage in the scrutiny of local policing, and Police Scotland is developing a range of different approaches to local policing across the country in response to local circumstances and priorities; greater partnership working and collaboration is evident, at both a national and local level, to ensure that Police Scotland and other public services work together more effectively, including a renewed focus on prevention. More though remains to be done to fully realise the potential of police reform, and lessons have been learned by Police Scotland and the Authority over the first five years as a result of concerns expressed about the importance of maintaining regular and meaningful engagement on issues of local concern. The approach of both the Authority and Police Scotland in managing resources, performance and risk is improving and will continue to do so. 11

12 Assessment of Performance Operational Policing Service Transformation Leadership and Governance 12

13 Executive Summary Policing 1. Police Scotland provides a good level of service to the people and communities of Scotland. Much was achieved operationally during to protect and serve the public, and Police Scotland has provided multiple examples to the Authority which demonstrate effective, responsive policing. Police Scotland delivered most of the operational policing commitments set out in the Annual Police Plan. 2. The main findings of Recorded Crime data for , published by Scotland s Chief Statistician 1 were: There were 244,504 crimes recorded by the police in Scotland in This is the second lowest level of recorded crime since Between and , the number of crimes recorded by the police increased by 1% - excluding those additional crimes of handling an offensive weapon, which were only recorded from onwards. If the additional crimes of handling an offensive weapon are included, crimes recorded by the police increased by 2%. This is not a reliable measure given those crimes of handling an offensive weapon were not recorded prior to The number of Non-sexual crimes of violence recorded by the police increased by 1% from 7,164 in to 7,251 in The recording of these crimes remains at a lower level than all years between 1975 and Scottish Government (2018) Recorded Crime in Scotland 2017/18 13

14 Sexual crimes increased by 13% from 11,092 in to 12,487 in Following the enactment of The Abusive Behavior and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016 on 3rd July 2017, part of this increase includes 421 new crimes of disclosing or threatening to disclose an intimate image. The recording of these crimes is at the highest level seen since 1971, the first year for which comparable crime groups are available. Crimes of dishonesty (for example theft, shoplifting and housebreaking) increased by 1% from 113,205 in to 114,474 in The recording of these crimes is at the second lowest level seen since Crimes of Fire-raising, vandalism etc. decreased by 2% from 52,514 in to 51,322 in The recording of these crimes is at the lowest level seen since Other crimes (including Drugs and Crimes against public justice) remained at similar levels to excluding those additional crimes of handling an offensive weapon, which were only recorded from onwards. If the additional crimes of handling an offensive weapon are included, Other Crimes recorded by the police increased by 7%. This is not a reliable measure given those crimes of handling an offensive weapon were not recorded prior to The clear up rate for all recorded crimes in was 49.5%. Clear up rates in were higher for some types of crime than others. Other crimes (89.6%), non-sexual crimes of violence (76.1%) and sexual crime (60.0%) had higher clear up rates than crimes of dishonesty (36.9%) and fire-raising, vandalism etc. (25.2%). Between and the clear up rate fell by 0.9 percentage points from 50.0% to 49.1% - excluding those additional crimes of handling an offensive weapon which were only recorded from onwards. If the additional crimes of handling an offensive weapon are included, the clear up rate fell by 0.5 percentage points from 50.0% to 49.5%. This is not a reliable measure of change between these two years given those crimes of handling an offensive weapon were not recorded prior to

15 3. In addition to preventing and responding to crime, Police Scotland carries out a wider range of activity in line with its statutory purpose to improve the safety and wellbeing of people and communities. This often involves helping members of the public at times of crisis and distress; with a growing focus on assisting vulnerable people, many of whom may have mental health needs. Analysis carried out by Police Scotland suggests that as few as 1 in 5 incidents reported to police result in a crime being recorded. The overall number of incidents reported, 1.71 million, increased by 2.6% compared with the previous year. The number of missing person incidents also increased, from 43,524 in to 49,587 in (up 13.9%). 4. Public confidence in policing and service user satisfaction levels remain high. In particular, the most recent Scottish Crime and Justice Survey for found that 90% of adults were content with how the police in their local area were performing. This level of confidence has remained relatively consistent since Police Scotland s own User Satisfaction Survey for also showed consistent results in line with previous years. Over 80% of service users stated that they had confidence in policing and were satisfied with how Police Scotland had dealt with their issue. 5. Building a sustainable service fit for the future is of fundamental importance. Capacity and capability to provide effective financial management was increased in through the strengthening of Police Scotland s finance function, and improvements were made to the systems of assurance which support the Authority s Chief Officer s role as designated Accountable Officer for the policing budget. 6. Eliminating the current financial operating deficit by remains a key priority, and good progress was made during Outturn for was 9.8 million better than planned, and the Authority approved a robust budget for which will significantly reduce further the deficit in line with the trajectory agreed with the Scottish Government to eliminate it over a 3 year period. In May 2018, a 3 Year Financial Plan and a 10 Year Financial Strategy to support delivery of the Strategic Police Plan Serving a Changing Scotland were approved by the Authority. These plans provide a significantly improved level of confidence that policing will be financially sustainable in the medium to longer term. 15

16 Scottish Police Authority 7. There were significant changes in the leadership of both the Authority and Police Scotland during In June 2017 Andrew Flanagan announced his intention to stand down from his role as SPA Chair, and Susan Deacon became Chair of the Authority on 4 December A further 7 new non-executive Members were appointed to the Authority s Board on 23 March The Authority s Chief Executive, John Foley left the SPA on 30 November 2017, and Kenneth Hogg was appointed as Interim Chief Officer on 13 November Changes in the governance of SPA Forensic Services were also made during , with the Director of Forensic Services reporting directly to the SPA Board with effect from 1 September 2017 rather than to the Authority s Chief Executive. 8. In response to a range of critical external audits, evaluations and inspections about the SPA, including from Audit Scotland, HMICS and the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner, a comprehensive programme of improvement was initiated in the latter part of within the Authority. The programme of improvement addressed organisational policies, processes and culture. Progress on key aspects of this was recorded in an SPA Improvement Plan published on 2 May The Authority also took action in to strengthen the resilience of the senior leadership team in Police Scotland. On 7 February 2018 Phil Gormley resigned from his post as Chief Constable of Police Scotland, following a period of absence on leave since September To provide temporary additional resilience to the senior leadership team in November 2017, the Authority appointed two temporary Assistant Chief Constables. The Authority subsequently began a process to strengthen Police Scotland s leadership team on a permanent basis which culminated in the appointments of three new Assistant Chief Constables and two new Deputy Chief Constables (in June 2018) and a new Chief Constable (in August 2018). The recruitment processes were overseen by a new Succession Planning and Appointments Committee established by the Authority. 16

17 Scottish Police Authority Forensic Services 10. SPA Forensic Services delivered a strong operational performance over the year, continuing to provide essential forensic science and services to Police Scotland and the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). There were high and growing levels of workload, and Forensic Services sought to manage these in new and innovative ways. Action is planned to increase organisational capacity and transform areas of the business, allowing Forensic Services to reduce casework workload and provide greater value and more timely services. 11. This work will take place within the framework of the new strategy Forensic 2026: Scientific Excellence for Safer Communities, which was created during and approved by the SPA Board in May The strategy points to an emerging programme of change which will grow Forensic Services over the next eight years, with the focus on delivering strengthened operational performance. Improvement in illustrating the evidential and added value delivered to the Police through the application of forensic science in major and serious crime cases is a part of this strategy. Delivery of Equality Outcomes 12. Police Scotland and the Authority worked collaboratively to collect and report on evidence of delivery of their respective equality outcomes. Work was carried out to improve processes to enable both organisations to meet their Public Sector Equality Duty which requires each to publish their equality outcomes and report on progress every two years on how these outcomes and equalities considerations are being mainstreamed into the work of all officers and staff. Good initial progress was reported at the SPA Policing Committee in October 2017 with a range of both oversight and delivery evidence included in the reporting. Police Scotland and the Authority will formally publish their performance reports against Equality Outcomes in early

18 Overall Performance Assessment 18

19 OPERATIONAL POLICING 13. The Authority considered and evaluated a range of evidence that demonstrated that Police Scotland delivered an effective and responsive operational policing service during More work is required to improve Police Scotland s reporting of the impact of their actions, however across the Annual Police Plan priorities, the Authority saw examples of prevention and protection in action, partnershipworking with communities and instances where specialist knowledge and innovative thinking contributed to the provision of better policing services to the public. Some examples include: the launch of a social media campaign, Be Greater than a Hater, targeted at raising awareness of hate crime among young people; 14. Police Scotland continued to work to maintain the level of confidence and satisfaction that Scotland s communities have in policing, and to engage the public. For example, the development of Police Scotland s Annual Police Plan was supported and influenced by extensive public engagement. This was significant as it was the first time the public had been offered the opportunity to comment on, and influence, the approach to identifying and tackling policing priorities. Police Scotland intends to use the learning from this engagement to develop a public engagement strategy in to involve the public and communities in shaping change, innovation and continuous improvement in policing. partnerships with schools to tackle online sexual abuse involving children with the Stop to Listen campaign; tackling the growing cybercrime threat with the launch of a Banking Protocol, a multi-agency initiative between law enforcement, banking institutions and Trading Standards. 19

20 15. In a similar vein, local authorities provided the Authority with examples where local policing is working well, with additional endorsement of improvements at local level contained in evidence provided by HMICS Policing Inspection of Tayside Division which confirmed that: there was evidence of greater autonomy at a local level to respond to the needs of the communities Partner agencies held the local police in high regard and partnership working was felt to be strong. 16. Twenty one local authorities provided feedback to the Authority to inform this Annual Review. Their responses referenced high levels of satisfaction and confidence in policing at local authority level. Many specifically referenced Police Scotland s contribution to community planning and local prevention activities, strong local relationships with partner agencies, and offered supporting evidence of successful local initiatives and partnerships with policing. 17. All respondents confirmed that Police Scotland s support for local scrutiny over the course of the year was effective. Twenty local authorities reported that community priorities were reflected in their local police plan and that local engagement was of a high standard; one considered the process to be too top down, and wanted in the future more early involvement for Elected Members in developing the local police plan. Overall local performance reporting was viewed as effective and helpful. A number of local authorities said that improvements could be made, such as data being made available at an earlier stage so scrutiny is more timeous, more comparative data sets or more contextual information. Half of respondents said they would like to see increased local engagement with the Authority. Some said that the Authority could play a greater role in bringing together key partners to strengthen engagement at a national and local level and share best practice. 18. Numerous examples of what is working well and local good practice were provided including: Daily Tasking, which brings together partners from key services including Police, Fire, Council, Housing and Social Work on a regular basis to review recent incidents and address any questions or concerns; and Police Scotland involvement in Community Planning Partnerships; Multi Agency Public Protection Groups including Domestic Abuse Partnerships. These examples demonstrated a strong focus on local partnerships, prevention and early intervention, innovation and locally appropriate services with greater local discretion for divisional commanders and local flexibility. Some respondents highlighted a need to ensure that a local approach to policing remains at the forefront of local service delivery. Some respondents expressed a desire for greater local influence on national decision making, increased scope for local areas and local commanders to influence the allocation of national resources and further collaboration to align priorities and resources. A fuller summary of evidence supplied by Local Authorities is included as an Appendix. 20

21 The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) was also asked to contribute to the Review. Issues raised in COSLA s response included: Elected Members roles in scrutinising the delivery of Local Police Plans and commenting on the local implications of national policy change needs to be recognised and accommodated. COSLA also highlighted some unsatisfactory experiences of Police Scotland s policy development and roll out, such as the proposed policy change with regard to Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders in October 2017; there should be continued joint working between the Authority, Police Scotland and local government and a strong bi-lateral agreement/protocol with the Authority/Police Scotland; there should be greater coverage in the Strategic Police Plan of local accountability, governance, community planning/community empowerment, Local Outcome Improvement Plans, community justice, youth justice and effective community engagement; partnership working requires to be genuinely embedded in Police Scotland s Implementation Plan to allow police and local authorities to develop a strategic, longer term approach to service planning and delivery as well as reflect the priorities of Local Outcome Improvement Plans; performance reporting for Police Scotland at a local level should be seen as equally important as the national assurance process to ensure confidence is maintained in Police Scotland and the Authority. there should be a greater level of delegated powers and resources for local police commanders to meaningfully respond to local priorities; 21

22 Delivery of the Annual Police Plan 19. As required by statute 2, this Review specifically assesses Police Scotland s performance in delivering the arrangements and commitments set out in the Annual Police Plan. Police Scotland provided the Authority with a range of examples of activity against each Annual Police Plan priority. This enabled the Authority to make an assessment based on the strength of evidence of delivery and, wherever possible, impact. Where appropriate this Review also includes examples of SPA Forensic Services contribution to policing. 20. The commitments contained within the Annual Police Plan have been assessed by the Authority based on evidence provided by Police Scotland. Police Scotland has been able to provide evidence that demonstrates substantive delivery of the commitments and, in many cases, improved outcomes as a consequence. For some commitments, more could have been done through Police Scotland s approach to performance assessment to evidence delivery of activity and its contribution towards outcomes for communities. A more complete assessment of policing performance could then be articulated around the positive differences being achieved through the implementation of planning activity and the capture of associated performance outcomes. A new performance reporting system was introduced by Police Scotland on 1 April 2018, and the Authority intends to increase further its engagement and oversight of Police Scotland s performance reporting in the year ahead. Annual Police Plan Priority: Violence, disorder and antisocial behaviour 21. Police Scotland provided evidence to the Authority that it is further developing strategic coordination of violence prevention activity with partner agencies through the continuing oversight and co-ordination work of Police Scotland s National Violence Prevention Board. The Board held a conference in November 2017, which had a focus on partnership working at both national and local level, and the sharing of best practice. The Authority also received feedback and case-studies from local authority partners that endorse policing approaches to prevention and provide valuable, locally-based assessment of how such initiatives are helping to deliver better outcomes for communities. 22. During , Police Scotland and the Authority worked in partnership to prepare for the introduction of a new statutory Stop and Search Code of Practice in May The Code provides guidance on conducting, recording and monitoring the use of stop and search and puts individuals rights at the centre of decisions. National stop and search training was delivered to prepare officers for the introduction of the code. SPA officers worked with Police Scotland s Stop and Search support team to establish an analytical reporting and checking framework that provides both the SPA Board and external stakeholders with assurance that the code is being fully complied with. 2 Section 39 of the 2012 Act 22

23 Annual Police Plan Priority: Serious organised crime 23. Police Scotland provided evidence that highlights analytical work to identify the multiple threats of cybercrime through completion of a new Cybercrime Strategic Threat Assessment. Police Scotland s leading role to coordinate the national operational response to the global cyberattack that affected the NHS in May 2017 is also selected as a key highlight. A significant amount of activity at a strategic level took place to raise collective awareness and understanding of the nature of fraud, including cyber-fraud and business-sector vulnerabilities, and identify prevention opportunities. 24. The majority of SPA Forensic Services casework in related to drugs offences and investigations. An operational example was provided by SPA Forensic Services of a case where scientific advances were implemented by obtaining DNA profiles from very small samples, resulting in an 80% increase in this capability. High-profile investigative support has included work to support Operation ESCALADE (a serious organised crime case) and Operation WAHLEACH (a community feud resulting in murder). Annual Police Plan Priority: Counter terrorism and domestic extremism 25. Evidence provided by Police Scotland to the Authority demonstrated an effective response to the two occasions in May 2017 when the threat from international terrorism rose to CRITICAL. This demonstrated the value of work to develop, enhance and refresh plans. Police Scotland s specialist staff also continued to deliver a coordinated programme of protective security advice and support to key stakeholders, businesses and the public. Police Scotland also delivered on a commitment to progressing the Emergency, Event and Resilience Planning Strategy, taking an active role in local, regional and national exercises. Several local authority partners provided evidence to the SPA of the roles that their Council had played in these Prevent exercises, and of the benefits of awareness training received from Police Scotland. 23

24 Annual Police Plan Priority: Public protection 26. Police Scotland provided evidence to the Authority of multiple strands of activity that demonstrated their commitment to protecting children and young people and supporting victims and other vulnerable groups. Improvement work was undertaken by the National Missing Persons Unit to increase systems capability to potentially link long-term missing persons with unidentified human remains. Evidence of the success of Stop to Listen pilots to improve the response to child sexual abuse victims was provided to the SPA by both Police Scotland and the local authority partners involved. Innovative campaigns to educate children and parents of the online threat and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) also demonstrate the multi-strand approach and reach to ensure these important messages get across. Annual Police Plan Priority: Road safety and road crime 27. Police Scotland provided evidence that demonstrated support of the Scottish Government s Road Safety Framework to 2020 aimed at reducing casualty numbers. Police Scotland s Road Safety and Road Crime calendar of themed activity provides a clear line of sight of what will be delivered and when. In addition, relevant evidence of local authority involvement in campaigns was provided to the Authority. Enforcement, prevention and education activity all featured, with a range of campaigns being delivered. Road Policing officers also used intelligence and analytical products, working closely with local policing divisions and road safety partners to detect and deter all types of criminality on our roads. A significant success was Operation Scandium, reducing reported metal theft by over 50% within the period. Annual Police Plan Priority: Acquisitive crime 28. Police Scotland s Strategic Assessments indicate that doorstep crime and fraud are continuing to increase and, for , Police Scotland committed to directing significant local and national resources to specifically address these crime types. In relation to Doorstep Crime, Police Scotland ran various initiatives, relying on strong joint working with partners, including local Trading Standards and Citizens Advice Bureau, to both publicise prevention techniques and encourage reporting. Operation MONARDA, an annual initiative, also promoted prevention messages and partnership working around doorstep crime. One innovative example included Police Scotland working with Falkirk Council to include doorstep crime literature in 75,000 Council Tax renewal notices issued to residents in March

25 SERVICE TRANSFORMATION represented Year 1 of delivery of the plan to implement the Strategic Police Plan, Policing 2026: Serving a Changing Scotland. The Authority s assessment is that overall Police Scotland delivered most of what it said it would achieve in the first year of the 3 year Implementation Plan For most of the individual commitments in year one of the Implementation Plan, Police Scotland provided the Authority with evidence that showed how it has worked throughout the year to achieve each commitment. There was some slippage with regard to components of underpinning work in a small number of cases, and a small number of commitments for delivery in were deferred to Year 1 of the 2026 strategy s implementation was largely focussed on building sufficient capacity and capability to undertake large-scale transformational change, and to design a prioritised portfolio of change consisting of appropriate projects and programmes, and defined measurable benefits. The 3 Year Implementation Plan was approved by the SPA Board in May 2018 along with an underpinning 3 Year Financial Plan and a 10 Year Financial Strategy. Work to develop the more detailed programmes which comprise part of the 3 Year Implementation plan continued throughout, such as an integrated Digital, Data & ICT strategy. This work often necessitated recruitment or procurement of specialist resources, funding to be secured, robust governance to be designed and effected. It is planned that will see delivery of transformational change take place at faster pace as transformation projects become more advanced and deliver new capabilities. 32. Police Scotland provided the Authority with a year-end progress update to the Strategic Police Plan Policing 2026: Serving a Changing Scotland. Police Scotland also provided examples that showed how it had managed and delivered complex change for call-handling and legislative changes in relation to criminal justice. 3 pdf/138327/386688/policing year-programme

26 Strategic Police Plan: Strategic Objective: Improve Public Contact, Engagement and Service 33. Policing 2026: Serving a Changing Scotland, states that Police Scotland will transform its contact and resolution model, enabling the organisation to recognise and respond appropriately to the needs of individuals and communities, with a continued commitment to localism. Police Scotland will also modernise its operating model to ensure that Police Scotland achieves maximum impact with the available resources. 34. To support this, Police Scotland commenced delivery of initial Local Approaches to Policing prototypes, and carried out work to improve the care pathway for people with mental health issues. Police Scotland also developed custody improvement prototypes which improved procedures and processes and reduced resource requirement from local policing divisions a positive impact on frontline policing. ethical advisory panels were successfully trialled and Police Scotland joined the UK wide ethical practice network to learn and share with partners. Police Scotland also approved an approach to establishing governance mechanisms and improved oversight and strategic alignment of research activity. Benchmarking activity took place to ensure best practice is established. Work also commenced to develop a Prevention and Partnerships Strategy, with workshops held during the year within Police Scotland. Strategic Police Plan: Strategic Objective: Empower, Enable and Develop our People 36. Under this objective, Police Scotland will continue to recognise and invest in the development and wellbeing of its workforce. Police Scotland will also strengthen the diversity of the whole workforce and change the mix of skills and experience to address evolving needs. Strategic Police Plan: Strategic Objective: Strengthen Effective Partnerships 35. Another objective set out in the Strategic Police Plan is for Police Scotland to strengthen partnership working, identifying areas of shared improvement and opportunities to provide value for money services. During , Police Scotland commenced work to support increased collaborative programmes. This included Scottish Ambulance Service control room staff being deployed for a time within Contact, Command and Control (C3) division. In addition, formal 26

27 37. Police Scotland established a wellbeing programme in 2017, with a dedicated intranet space outlining the full range of support services and a network of Wellbeing Champions, to signpost all Police Scotland and SPA staff and officers to relevant guidance and sources of professional support. Police Scotland also commenced development of a People Strategy, focused on Inspiring Leadership, Organisational Health and creating a Positive Environment. A People Strategy and Leadership Framework was agreed. Police Scotland also commenced a first cohort of an Engaging Leaders Programme, albeit this was not fully completed within the year as planned. Approval was also obtained from the Scottish Government for the staff pay and reward modernisation business case, with preliminary discussions commencing with the trade unions ahead of entering into formal negotiations. A review also commenced to develop new approaches to staff progression. Strategic Police Plan: Strategic Objective: Invest in our use of information and technology 38. To achieve this objective, Police Scotland will introduce technology to enable workforce efficiency and operational effectiveness, using analytics, better quality data and wider sources to improve decision making. During , a Digital, Data & ICT Strategy was developed, with the direction of travel being approved by the SPA Board in May 2018 and an Outline Business Case approved subsequently by the SPA in September Within that overall strategy Police Scotland agreed a Mobile Policing approach and began a procurement exercise in A procurement exercise was also completed to replace fixed and mobile Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) assets. 27

28 Strategic Police Plan: Strategic Objective: Enhance Cyber and Forensic Capabilities 39. The Policing 2026: Serving a Changing Scotland strategy states that Police Scotland will scale its cyber capability to respond to emerging cyberrelated crimes and the Authority will continue to invest in Scotland s forensic science capabilities. In support of this, Police Scotland completed a cybercrime threat assessment and also completed a procurement process for Cyber Kiosks which are expected to be rolled out in the latter half of Police Scotland has also increased its data centre archive storage capability, refurbished estates in the North and West, and enhanced computer and mobile phone forensic technologies. Conversations with partners began with regard to refining a shared vision for the creation of multi partner hubs. Strategic Police Plan: Strategic Objective: Transform Corporate Support Services 40. To achieve this objective, Police Scotland will transform its corporate services, improving processes and systems to support and enable a national service fit for the future. During the year, a number of activities were completed to help achieve this objective. A high-level design of a new target operating model for corporate services was approved. Enhancements were also made to the corporate services model, and the finance function in particular. A new interim payroll solution was procured, and a number of improvements in travel, energy and fuel usage were identified for progression through Police Scotland s Commercial Excellence Programme. Police Scotland also completed a public consultation regarding the sale of unused estate, and the Authority approved plans to dispose of 49 unused police properties. Scoping work was also undertaken to develop an Innovation Strategy. 28

29 Managing and Delivering Complex Change 41. Police Scotland provided evidence to the Authority on the implementation of significant changes to emergency callhandling, response and deployment arrangements across Scotland. These changes were delivered through the C3 Integration and Remodelling Programme. This programme realised a number of significant benefits through delivery of key programme milestones, improving the service provided as well as delivering efficiency. For example, police commanders are now able to lead incidents across boundaries without the challenges previously encountered under legacy arrangements. Ongoing continuous improvements have been shaped by the observations and learning arising from work conducted by Her Majesty s Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) to support internal assurance mechanisms within C3, as well as enhanced governance and assurance processes put in place by the Authority. 42. Another example of delivery of complex change to improve service was the Criminal Justice Services Remodelling Programme. This created a self-sufficient integrated division that prioritises innovation, partnership working and reducing demand placed upon Local Policing. The Custody Remodelling project delivered a number of quick wins relating to the custody resource/estate model. These enabled the division to better match current demand to resource levels and reduce the requirement for Local Policing to provide backfill. Another improvement was delivery of training and support to ensure a smooth transition for the introduction of the new Criminal Justice Act in January 2018, which changed powers of arrest and the custody process. 43. In relation to the impact of the new Criminal Justice Act, the SPA s Independent Custody Volunteer Scheme team adapted its scheme to Police Scotland s changing custody estate model to ensure that changes were incorporated, using valuable real-time feedback supplied by the Authority s volunteer custody visitors. These observations are important to ensure that the scheme keeps abreast of custody estate changes and provide a useful feedback loop to Police Scotland on the custody service being experienced, what is working well and what needs to be improved. 29