NOTEBOOK
Round-up of policing and justice developments
The number of assaults on Scottish police officers dropped slightly in the last quarter, according to latest figures.
There were 1,322 reports of attacks between September and November, a fall of nearly 15 per cent.
Injuries sustained from assaults during that time also decreased, from 387 to 318.
However, the number of accidents involving officers rose slightly, according to the force’s health and safety dashboard.
Female applicants are more successful than men in their bid to become police officers, while women are also more likely to be promoted.
Analysis of recruitment data in a report for the Scottish Police Authority found while women are less likely to apply in general, those who do have a 21 per cent chance of getting the job, compared to 17 per cent of males.
And when it comes to promotion, they also fare better.
“Female applicants tend to perform better at assessment centres when compared with males,” the report stated.
A recent storm inflicted further damage to a key Police Scotland training base, it has emerged.
Dundee’s Baluniefield training block was already partially closed after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was found in one of the ceilings.
But during Storm Eowyn, which wrought havoc across the country in late January, the centre sustained further damage prompting its indefinite closure.
It is understood the roof was impacted during the red-warning storm, and water ingress occurred leading a structural engineer to identify heightened safety risks.
Parents who live in social housing and whose children engage in antisocial behaviour have been warned their tenancies could be at risk.
Prolific young offenders were targeted in West Dunbartonshire following a spate of disruption in town centres, including shoplifting and trouble on trains.
Children who were arrested in connection with these incidents were then dealt a further warning via local housing associations, who had teamed up with police.
They sent letters to several parents, warning them “the behaviour of their child could directly impact their tenancy”.
A police report into the partnership concluded: “This is having a positive effect.”
Books about home plumbing, lowering cholesterol, and improving skills in backgammon were among those borrowed from prison libraries last year.
Inmates at HMP Inverness also read titles on beekeeping and sociology, while one preferred to try out a classic in the form of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.
Novels titled Crime and Punishment and 22 Dead Little Bodies and Other Stories were also among those hired by prisoners.
The details were published by the Scottish Prison Service following a Freedom of Information request.
A man who tried to skip traffic by driving on a pavement inadvertently landed himself in hot water with immigration authorities.
Police were patrolling an upmarket part of Edinburgh following a spate of break-ins when they spotted a car mounting the kerb to bypass a queue.
When they caught up with the driver he provided false details, and was subsequently arrested and found to be without a licence and insurance.
It then emerged the Home Office is investigating issues with the driver’s visa. A report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
Attacks on women and girls on Scotland’s trains have increased, despite a wider reduction in crime.
A British Transport Police briefing paper revealed monthly incidents for 2024/25 regularly ticked above the same periods last year.
Rates reached a high of 27 cases in November on the railways, before dropping down to 18 in December.
Sex offences against females, which are recorded separately, also rose slightly.
However, in the third quarter of 2024/25, overall crime on trains and at railway stations dropped by eight per cent compared to the previous year.
More than two per cent of Scots aged between 35 to 49 are addicted to drugs like heroin, a new study has found.
The levels were revealed in a Public Health Scotland report into opioid addiction, which found that age group has the highest prevalence of dependency at 2.39 per cent.
In total, it is thought slightly more than one per cent of Scots have an opioid addiction, a small reduction from the same point a decade ago.
Ayrshire and Arran recorded the highest level of addiction, with rates there increasing to 1.59 per cent.
A dozen African police officers have received specialist training in Scotland to improve their handling of sexual violence and child protection matters.
The group from Malawi and Zambia took part in a two-week programme led by Police Scotland’s International Academy.
The initiative is part of a wider three-year arrangement between the countries.
“We cannot overstate the importance of what we have learnt here,” said Zambia Police Service assistant commissioner Gloria Mubita.
“We cherish our long-standing partnership and will report back to our superiors about our amazing experiences.”
Middle-aged men move through Scotland’s justice system quicker than anyone else, new analysis of court timescales has shown.
On average, a female accused takes 224 days to have her case concluded, compared to 208 days for males.
And the government study of thousands of cases shows those aged between 25 and 60 move through the system more speedily.
The report stated: “These differences may be explained by factors such as the type of crime that a person is accused of.”
Police Scotland has established a dedicated unit to tackle the soaring rate of retail crime across the country.
The Retail Crime Taskforce was created following a £3 million funding allocation from the Scottish Government.
The team is made up of 14 uniformed officers and detectives, as well as four civilian staff.
In February, 1919 revealed the devastating impact of retail crime on security staff, workers and customers.
Emotional tributes have poured in following the death of Scottish minister Christina McKelvie.
The drugs and alcohol minister stepped back from her duties last year after announcing she had secondary breast cancer.
First Minister John Swinney said: “Christina was a parliamentarian of the highest motivation and the finest nature. I was proud that she was a member of my government, giving her all to make life better for others, which was always her motivation.”
Patricia Tracey, head of alcohol and other drugs at Turning Point Scotland, said: “Christina was committed to her role and the current state of drug related harms and deaths.”
Emotional tributes have poured in following the death of Scottish minister Christina McKelvie.
The drugs and alcohol minister stepped back from her duties last year after announcing she had secondary breast cancer.
First Minister John Swinney said: “Christina was a parliamentarian of the highest motivation and the finest nature. I was proud that she was a member of my government, giving her all to make life better for others, which was always her motivation.”
Patricia Tracey, head of alcohol and other drugs at Turning Point Scotland, said: “Christina was committed to her role and the current state of drug related harms and deaths.”