Policing Together delivering tangible improvements at Police Scotland
Police Scotland has provided a public update on our progress towards building an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory, organisation.
Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton outlined action taken as part of our Policing Together programme to address issues in relation to racism, sexism, misogyny and other aspects of discrimination and harmful behaviour.
Independent reviews and inspections, as well as direct messages from officers and staff, have underlined Police Scotland’s duty to deliver meaningful cultural change in the Service and across society.
Police Scotland acknowledged institutional racism, sexism, and discrimination in May 2023. After taking command of Police Scotland in October 2023, Chief Constable Jo Farrell publicly affirmed the statement and her commitment to driving necessary change.
At a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority Board in Edinburgh on Thursday, 25 September, senior officers outlined how Police Scotland is measuring the impact of the Policing Together programme, which was established in 2021.
ACC Paton said: “We know policing, like all organisations and wider society, must face sexism, misogyny, racism and discrimination head-on. These are long-standing challenges which require constant vigilance, leadership and focus to safeguard our values and make further progress.
“The case for action has been made.
“Our response to these complex issues is delivered by a Policing Together programme which considers all the reviews, inspection and evidence we receive, along with our joint strategy for policing, our vision for policing, and the legally required equality outcomes for policing, in order to develop, co-ordinate and deliver meaningful action across the Service which achieves real change.”
ACC Paton was appointed ACC for Policing Together in June 2024, bringing a refreshed approach and focus on driving tangible practical improvements to deliver sustainable and meaningful cultural change.
ACC Paton has been clear that demonstrating the impact of this work is essential and Policing Together has developed a culture dashboard to better understand representation in policing, people’s experiences and how officers and staff are demonstrating the organisation’s values.
ACC Paton said: “Understanding the impact of this work is absolutely critical and we will continue to measure success by the improved experiences of all our communities within policing and across wider society.
“Our aim is to achieve long-term tangible impact, and while culture change takes time and we recognise that there is still a lot of work to be done, we have already made real and tangible progress.
“We will continue to drive this vital work to ensure all aspects of our policing purpose become more effective, because we will have secured the trust of each other and those we serve, and we will be recognised as a policing service which delivers safer communities, less crime, supported victims and a thriving workforce.”
The full Policing Together progress report can be accessed here.
