Policing of protests placing high demand on officers

The policing of protests requires around 300 officers each week, the Chief Constable has told a public meeting of the Scottish Police Authority Board in Edinburgh today, Thursday 25 September.

Chief Constable Jo Farrell said around 280 police officers, 35 sergeants and 10 inspectors were dedicated to protests across the country last weekend – with a similar requirement expected over coming days.

During the meeting, Chief Constable Farrell provided a wide-ranging update on policing matters in recent weeks including investigations, arrests and court outcomes in relation to a broad range of matters, as part of her public reporting to the authority.

Her report can be read here and her spoken update is below:

Policing continues to respond to an intense operating environment, illustrated by a high-level of protest and counter protest across the country each week.

While the vast majority of these have been peaceful, there have been challenging dynamics and appropriate police planning and resource is required, placing pressure on our workforce.

To provide a sense of the pressure, over the weekend just gone around 280 officers, over 35 sergeants, and 10 inspectors were deployed in relation to demonstrations, including in Glasgow, Falkirk, Dundee and Perth, with similar levels of protest anticipated over the coming weekend. Of course, this has a cost to the organisation and also a work-life balance pressure on officers who have rest days cancelled to do these duties.

At the same time, officers and staff continue to investigate crime, secure answers for families and bring offenders to justice, powerfully underlined by important criminal justice outcomes in relation to murders, attempted murder, and terrorism offences, child sexual abuse, as well as arrests in connection with deaths and under Operation Portaledge.

In my report, I highlight enforcement action across retail crime and drug offences, and partnership work to help keep students safe aligned with the start of the academic year, as well as collaboration with Abertay University's cyberQuarter as we continue to develop capabilities to meet ever changing and more complex threats that we face.

As we approach the 10th anniversary of the implementation of the Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland (DSDAS), my report outlines the significant work Police Scotland has undertaken with partners, including victim and survivor groups to make disclosures which can empower women to leave potentially abusive relationships

I also set-out work to better support victims as part of efforts to build a trauma-informed criminal justice service, including training to take a person-centred approach to our interactions.

These examples provide insight into the broad and deep work of police officers, staff, and volunteers right across the country, right around the clock, and I thank our people for their dedication, hard work, and resilience.

Supporting a thriving workforce is key to delivering effective policing for our communities and I outline continued officer recruitment, while also providing a welcome update on police staff pay, which follows an aligned award for police officers agreed in August.

A thriving workforce also means one which better reflects, represents, and serves all our communities and where those with different backgrounds and experiences are able to flourish as part of Police Scotland.

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. This includes by Lady Elish Angiolini’s Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigation and Misconduct Issues in relation to policing published in 2020 and by the findings of the independent review group established as part of those recommendations, including the deep dive on sex equality, tackling misogyny and violence against women and girls

The case has been illustrated through inspection reports by HMICS, and through listening to our officers and staff, including directly during face to face engagement and through more structured surveys, and legal cases and conduct matters.

Our response to these complex issues is delivered by a Policing Together programme which was established in 2021 and has been led by Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton since last summer. I want to thank Catriona for the energy, passion, leadership, and commitment she has brought to this important work since then.

Policing Together 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.

This allows us to group themes from various sources, reviews and findings, and develop and take targeted action to address concerns, while reducing duplication or resourcing initiatives which aren’t a priority.

We have dedicated significant resources to this work across leadership, learning, communications, and communities and we have shared examples including face to face anti-racism training, the establishment of community advisors and the Independent Police Advisory Council, among other work.

Delivery against the evidence and strategic alignment is co-ordinated through an implementation plan and is reported through the Authority’s committees and I have underlined my personal commitment to this vital progress since my appointment and it is positive we have time dedicated today to our Policing Together progress report.

As Chief Constable I would underline that it is crucial progress is made and evidenced, whether through improved representation in our workforce, that officers and staff know our values and feel able to call out unacceptable behaviour in a safe environment, or that people’s day to day experiences of policing are positive. This year’s workforce survey is open and we’ve been encouraging people to take part, so we continue to build an evidence base about where change is being felt, and where more needs to be done.

At the same time, we know some of Lady Elish’s recommendations required legislative change and we are working to implement relevant aspects of the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025.

My commitment is to ongoing leadership, focus and vigilance to safeguard our integrity and uphold our values. I thank the Authority and individual board members for their leadership, support and challenge over a period of years in this area, including Tom Halpin as chair of the oversight group and the People Committee and Chris Creegan for his work with the Independent Review Group.

In addition to appropriate pay and creating an environment where people can thrive and which delivers for all communities, it is crucial we provide the tangible support which improves the daily experiences of our officers and staff and enables them to deliver for our communities.

My report outlines how we are progressing the next phase of police reform in Scotland, to realise our vision of safer communities, less crime, supported victims, and a thriving workforce, including through the ongoing roll out of body worn video and the transformation of our building estate.

In the coming weeks, we'll implement a strengthened community policing model in Forth Valley (C) division to provide visible, identified, officers who can better connect with communities and build confidence in policing, work with communities to solve the problems that matter to them and prevent crime and anti-social behaviour, and improve the timeliness and quality of our investigations with a victim-centred response.

Enhanced community policing is essential to nurture our relationships with communities, to maintain the confidence to report crime, assist investigations, provide intelligence and to ensure the principle of policing by consent.

Hard-won efficiencies achieved through technology, work with criminal justice partners and health colleagues, as well as releasing experienced police officers from roles which don’t need warranted powers through workforce modernisation, continue to be driven with rigour and are essential to contribute to the capacity needed to deliver on our vision for policing. 

However, there are indications the operating environment is intensifying, that our workforce and that policing performance is under pressure, including the public’s confidence to report crime and in policing’s ability to reduce harm through prevention and proactivity.

I have been clear that delivering safer communities, less crime, supported victims, and a thriving workforce will require support, and we are working with the Authority and in communication with the Scottish Government around policing's resource requirements over the coming years.

Developing areas of demand, including increasingly complex demand, within an intensifying operating environment, and the pressure on our workforce has informed my view that investment is required to strengthen our resilience against terrorism and organised crime, protect our children from online abuse and exploitation and continue to investigate “cold cases”, and engage with public and fatal accident inquiries. Investment will enable us to successfully embed a strengthened community policing model across Scotland, vital to underpin our national and specialist response.

This month, we provided written evidence to the Criminal Justice Committee to inform their pre-budget scrutiny ahead of the Scottish Government's budget for 2026-27.

The evidence underlines the success of policing reform in Scotland since 2013 and seeks ongoing support for a second phase to build a modernised workforce able to keep pace with developing demand, deliver for our communities to reduce vulnerability and harm and keep people safe from the threats of today and those coming down the line.