NOTEBOOK

Round-up of policing and justice developments 

Pressure of mental health call-outs builds

Calls to police by people needing mental health support rather than a criminal intervention have gone up again, latest statistics show.

In the first quarter of the year there were 61,188 mental health-related incidents, a rise of 0.7 per cent from the same period last year.

The increase illustrates the level of pressure placed on the service by individuals who need support from other agencies.

They account for an estimated 17.5 per cent of workload, despite initiatives to divert people with mental health issues away from emergency police response.

More trouble on board city buses…

Anti-social behaviour on Scotland’s only publicly-run bus service increased by nearly a fifth last year.

Lothian buses, which serves Edinburgh and the surrounding regions, recorded 2,472 incidents throughout 2024/25, compared to 2,072 the year before.

Dozens of drivers were also assaulted, while passenger-on-passenger attacks occurred on 123 occasions, research by 1919 has revealed.

Critics say the Scottish Government’s free bus pass scheme for under 22s is to blame for the rise.

Ministers were urged earlier this year to deploy bus wardens across the country to restore order.

… and demand rises for plane-clothes officers

Police have been called to Scotland’s airports to make hundreds of arrests over the last three years, new figures have shown.

Officers attended crimes at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Prestwick and Aberdeen airports, with the figures rising between 2023 and 2024, from 105 arrests to 119.

And the 64 arrests for the first seven months of 2025 suggest the trend shows little sign of dipping.

In that time period, Edinburgh also overtook Glasgow for the number of arrests made.

The statistics were provided by Police Scotland. When approached by 1919, the UK Border Force refused to reveal how many arrests had been made by its airport-based officers.

Chief warns of ‘intensifying’ environment

The environment in which police are expected to operate is becoming more intense, placing performance “under pressure”, the Chief Constable has warned.

Jo Farrell hinted a further deterioration could jeopardise the public’s confidence in reporting crime and the police force’s ability “to reduce harm through prevention and proactivity”.

Speaking ahead of a crunch Scottish Government budget next year, she said further resource is needed in a number of areas, including public engagement and fatal accident inquiries.

She added: “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 the beat goes on

Scotland’s historic police pipe band has announced two key appointments – months after a drumming exodus forced it to withdraw from the prestigious competition circuit.

The Scottish Police and Federation Pipe Band has appointed Blair Faulds as its leading drummer, and serving officer Duncan Nicholson as pipe major – a role he previously held a decade ago.

The band suffered a setback over the summer due to the sudden departure of champion drummer David Henderson, his decision prompting other drummers to leave, forcing the group to withdraw from this year’s competition season for the first time in 150 years.

Faulds said: “I feel privileged to be given the opportunity to lead one of the world’s top bands competing at the highest level.”

Bank staff and police team up to halt fraud

Scots have been rescued from sending more than £600,000 of their cash to scammers in the past three months, new figures have shown.

The multi-agency Banking Protocol encourages bank workers to step in if they suspect someone is at risk of being defrauded.

One recent example involved an individual attending a bank branch where they attempted to make a £9,500 transfer.

But when staff realised the recipient was based in Essex, they became concerned about the transaction, cancelled it and reported the incident to police.

In total, 298 incidents were recorded between April and June across Scotland.

Class wars

Dozens of weapons offences have been recorded in schools across the country, it has emerged.

In the first three months of 2025/26, there were 29 cases of a weapon being used in the classroom or playground, and a further 34 related to possession.

The incidents occurred across the country and included 11 cases in primary schools.

Disorder in schools is becoming an increasing concern for politicians, with a number of summits on the issue organised by Scottish Government ministers.

A police report stated: “This is the highest number of crimes for use of weapon in a school since changes to offensive weapon recording were introduced in 2021/22.”

It’s not easy being green

Police Scotland’s attempts to meet government targets on climate change are in jeopardy after emission reductions “effectively plateaued” over the last year.

It means the aim of cutting emissions by 35 per cent next year, against 2019 levels, is unlikely to be achieved.

That is despite several green initiatives, and extensive investment both in the fleet and changes to the estate, which have contributed to significantly greener force footprint in recent years.

Police cars are now cleaner and younger, while gas and electricity consumption has also reduced heavily.

“While achieving a 35 per cent C02 reduction by 2026 is at risk, we continued to strive towards as close to 35 per cent reduction as we possibly can,” a board memo stated.

New unit allows victims and witnesses to give evidence from ‘safe space’

A victims charity has created a new facility for people to provide evidence remotely without having to attend court.

The evidence suites in Edinburgh have been opened thanks to £500,000 funding from the Scottish Government, and will be operated by Victim Support Scotland (VSS).

Enabling victims to provide evidence remotely both speeds up the justice process and spares those who have endured traumatic crimes the turmoil of reliving them in a court setting.

“Victims constantly tell us about the traumatic impact of giving evidence, including the anxiety of attending a court building,” said VSS chief executive Kate Wallace.

“By embracing technology, these rooms will be instrumental in improving access to justice for vulnerable victims and witnesses of crime by creating a safe space for them to give their evidence.”

Chance to influence digital policy

Police officers and staff in Scotland are being urged to take part in a study to influence the future use of digital technology.

The UK Police Digital Experience Survey will enable anonymous feedback on a range of issues, including the effectiveness of technology and use of data.

The quality of training and accessibility will also be covered by the work, led by Policing Insight.

Chief Constable Rob Carden, the National Police Chiefs Council digital, data and technology lead, said: “After our workforce, technology is the biggest spend for our service.

“We need a true picture of the issues being faced by officers and staff across the UK.”

The study can be accessed here.

Where there’s a will there’s no way

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) has refused to reveal figures involving a suspected hike in will disputes – despite its UK equivalent reporting a 50 per cent increase.

In England, there has been a sharp rise in contentious probate matters – where beneficiaries of estates disagree or are challenged in court.

Experts blame several factors for the rise, including an ageing population with mental capacity concerns, a rise in re-marriages in later life, higher generational wealth, and the advent of DIY wills.

However, the SCTS said it could not reveal the numbers in Scotland because court records are exempt from freedom of information laws.

Views of officers sought for sexual misconduct study

Serving and recently retired officers have been invited to take part in a study into sexual misconduct in the force.

The independent PHD research is being carried out by former Police Scotland officer Alison Wilson through Abertay University.

She said the anonymous views of Scotland’s rank-and-file could help improve procedures for the police going forward.

“By participating in this research, you will have the opportunity to contribute to a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to police sexual misconduct,” she said.

The survey can be accessed here.

More than 2,000 cops on ‘modified duties’

The number of officers on ‘modified duties’ increased slightly to 2,253 at the end of June.

This is a rise from 2,183 at the end of June 2024.

Officers carry out modified or restricted duties if they cannot undertake the full range of duties, which can be the result of injury or illness.

As of June 30 this year there were also 656 officers on long-term sick leave.

Overtime and mental health absences soar

Police officers worked almost four and a half million hours of overtime over the last five years, according to new figures.

In 2024/25 alone, cops worked 773,151 hours of overtime – which cost over £28 million – the data obtained by the Scottish Conservatives shows.

The party’s justice spokesperson Liam Kerr said: “These figures expose the immense strain that Police Scotland officers are under, with millions of hours in overtime being notched up.”

Meanwhile, Scottish Labour separately published figures showing stress and mental health absences have soared by over 50 per cent.

Justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill said: “It’s clear police in Scotland are at breaking point.”

Police Scotland said health and welfare “remains one of [the force’s] highest priorities”, while the Scottish Government said it is investing a record sum in policing.

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