About Us

Business Areas

We tap into the considerable experience and expertise of the Scottish Police Service through our ten business areas. Each business area provides advice and guidance to help formulate national policing strategies on behalf of the Scottish Police Service and to advise the Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament and other partners on policing matters.

Each business area has a designated Chair, drawn from Chief Constables, nominated Chief Officers and eligible senior police staff. All Scottish forces, and where relevant the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA), are represented on each business area.

Crime

This business area guides the Scottish Police Service in relation to crime prevention, recording, investigation and intelligence gathering processes to establish best practice and guidelines. The work of the group is divided into portfolios to reflect and manage the diverse elements and work streams included within the area of crime. The portfolio includes:

1. National Intelligence Model and Automatic Number Plate Recognition
2. Family protection
3. Criminal investigation and environmental crime
4. Counter terrorism
5. Public reassurance and violent crime
6. Drugs, serious organised crime and intelligence
7. Crime strategy, performance and best practice
8. Forensic science

Criminal Justice

In partnership with the criminal justice community this business area develops strategy, maximises performance and engages in the programme of criminal justice reform. Current priorities are to reduce the burden on the criminal justice system and bring about improvements and efficiencies. The portfolio includes;

1. Prisoners
2. Victims
3. Courts
4. Processes and performance
5. Management of offenders
6. Alternatives to prosecution
7. Children
8. Efficiency and effectiveness

Equality & Diversity

The Scottish Police Service is committed to delivering equality including the prevention, elimination or regulation of discrimination between persons on the grounds of sex or marital status, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, language or social origin, or of other personal attributes, including beliefs or opinions. This business area provides the strategic guidance and coordination necessary to ensure that the Scottish Police Service is a non-discriminating public service and employer. The portfolio includes;

1. Gender issues
2. Race and asylum seekers
3. Gypsies/travellers
4. Training
5. Religious hatred and older peoples' issues
6. Disability and mental health
7. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues

Finance Management

This business area represents the Scottish Police Service in matters relating to finance and asset management, and guides the Service through each three year Spending Review cycle. The Spending Review is the mechanism used by the Scottish Government to determine the budgets available for Local Authorities and other services, including the Scottish Police Service.

The business area also works closely with the Business Benefits Unit to demonstrate the Service’s commitment to the Scottish Government’s efficiency agenda by encouraging forces to make best use of the resources available to them and by collating and quantifying efficiency savings across the Service. The business area facilitates regular meetings between force finance officers and force payroll officers and the overall portfolio includes:

1. Income generation
2. Activity based costing
3. Estates management
4. Fleet management
5. Procurement management

Information Management

In conjunction with the Business Change and ICT Directorates, this business area provides guidance on matters relating to information management, and information and communications technology to promote efficiency, best practice and value for money. The portfolio includes;

1. Mobile information technology
2. Telecommunications
3. Public interface
4. Security, data protection and freedom of information
5. Technological systems
6. Future information management strategies

Operational Policing

This business area promotes efficiency and safeguards the interests of the Scottish Police Service on general issues of an administrative or operational nature which do not fall within the defined remit of any other business area. Members are committed to building on the strong partnership working which exists with the Scottish Government, criminal justice partners and other agencies in the policy and decision making process.

This business area actively encourages high visibility policing and community engagement to engender increased levels of public confidence and assist front line officers to make more effective use of their time, in pursuit of Best Value. The portfolio includes;

1. Community police services
2. Rescue services
3. Public order including sport, concerts and marches
4. Firearms licensing, use and protective equipment

Performance Management

Formed to satisfy the need for a performance management regime to demonstrate to the public and other stakeholders what is being achieved within the Scottish Police Service, this business area identifies areas of potential improvement in performance.

The portfolio covers the administration and progress monitoring of the ACPOS Priorities, and is responsible for the delivery of the Performance Management Framework. Capturing good practice and organisational learning are key priorities which provide opportunities to improve service delivery across the Scottish Police Service. This business area also strives to promote Best Value and Continuous Improvement across the police service. The portfolio includes;

1. Strategic planning
2. Development
3. Performance
4. Continuous improvement

Personnel and Training

The work of this business area is driven by the ACPOS People Strategy and Action Plan. This provides a clear ten-year vision for the modernisation of the Scottish Police Service, recognising the need for improvements in both internal people management and external service delivery. Recently revised, the business area has a number of strategic work streams to ensure that the key elements are effectively addressed. The portfolio includes;

1. People management
2. Health, safety and well-being issues
3. Training
4. Leadership
5. Personal development

Professional Standards

This business area provides direction and guidance on all professional standards issues. It is the focal point for Scottish Police Service liaison with the Scottish Government and other agencies on these matters. It develops national policies and guidance on behalf of the 8 Scottish forces. The portfolio includes;

1. Professional standards
2. Complaints against the police
3. Investigating misconduct
4. Vetting
5. Information systems, recording and performance management
6. Conduct regulations and legislation
7. Deaths in police custody

Road Policing

This business area aims to make 'Scotland's Roads Safer for Everyone' as outlined in the Scottish Road Policing Strategy. This includes liaising with key partner organisations; exploiting new technologies and available intelligence and information; tackling the full breadth of criminal behaviour; and having the unique responsibility to reduce and deal with serious injury road crashes. The portfolio includes;

1. Joint agency liaison and action
2. Adoption of common national standards
3. Casualty reduction
4. Use of new technology
5. Road user management and road crime reduction
6. Information and analysis
7. Operational emphasis