ACPOS Crime Business Area

SCOTTISH POLICING STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

The Scottish Policing Strategic Priorities document sets out those very high risk crime and disorder issues which the Scottish Police Service identified as having the most significant impact on the communities of Scotland and outlines strategies for tackling these issues.

The priorities in the document have been achieved as a result of robust analysis and risk assessment of information provided by all Scottish forces and law enforcement agencies as well as key partners including the Scottish Government, Local Authorities and the public.  The Very High Priorities identified in the document are;

• Public Protection (including Domestic Abuse, Child Abuse and Sex Offenders)
• Terrorism
• Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) (including youth disorder, gangs, alcohol related disorder and vandalism)
• Serious Organised Crime Groups (SOCGs) (including drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, intellectual property crime, money laundering, firearms and associated violence)
• Drugs
• Violence

It is hoped that the publication of this document will assist in increasing public awareness of the challenges facing policing in Scotland and provide an opportunity to engage with and involve the public more in influencing priorities and tackling issues.  The document also outlines outcomes which the Scottish Police Service are committed to achieving in respect of these issues in order to assist in creating the Scottish Government’s vision of a Safer Scotland.

ACPOS President, Chief Constable Patrick Shearer welcomed the document which he indicated is a ‘rich source of intelligence and information’ and has assisted in ‘creating a prioritised strategic picture of the crime and disorder issues which the police service face and firmer proposals around effective prevention, intelligence and enforcement responses to tackle them.

Chief Constable Shearer indicated that his expectation of the document is that ‘the agreed priorities and complementary control strategy will have the strongest influence on resource decisions taken collectively and unilaterally by forces.’