NOTEBOOK

Round-up of policing
and justice developments 

House of the rising sum

Police officers coughed up rent of nearly £27,000 in the three months following the introduction of a controversial housing levy.

The Police Housing Occupancy Charge was brought in from the beginning of September, forcing officers in previously free rural force-owned accommodation to pay up to £600 a month.

It has now emerged, up to the end of November, Police Scotland received £26,930.57 from the scheme.

The move, which could ultimately affect around 200 cops, has been widely criticised, with opponents arguing it makes working in remote communities even less attractive for officers.

Police braced for pay deal announcement

Police officers should discover the outcome of latest pay negotiations by the middle of February.

The arbitration between the staff side and Scottish Government is to start this month, with a decision being announced within a fortnight.

There is nothing to stop ministers making an enhanced pay offer in advance of the hearing, which would officially halt the dispute, although the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) said this gesture would be “extremely unlikely”.

The pay deal will be backdated to April 2024 and should arrive in March’s wage.

In a letter to members, SPF general secretary David Kennedy said: “I thank you for your support and efforts for what I know has been a financially difficult start to 2025 for you and your families.”

Military experience and a raft of language skills among new PC intake

Scores of new police officers have been added to the ranks following the latest swearing in of probationers.

The 124 new recruits were welcomed by the Chief Constable after making their official declaration at oath of office ceremonies.

More males than females were part of the intake, although the gender balance closed somewhat to a 60/40 split.

The group also had an international flavour, with new officers able to speak a number of languages including Italian, Portuguese and Arabic.

Twelve of the group have military experience, while one transferred over from Police Scotland staff.

Cost-cutting measures to fill forensics black hole

Police Scotland’s forensics department has been told to rein in spending on hospitality, events and travel as it battles to cut costs.

A recruitment freeze for all but essential roles will also take place, with bosses concerned about a £300,000 overspend in the last financial quarter.

Other cash-saving options include halting building repairs until April and delaying training – moving both costs into the next financial year’s budget.

A report on the issue to the Scottish Police Authority said some options “may have operational consequences” but, in most cases, wouldn’t impact on the level of service.

Court cases returning to pre-pandemic levels…

A rise in the number of criminals convicted in court last year suggests the system is finally recovering from the impact of the Covid pandemic.

Backlogs increased sharply amid lockdown restrictions, causing government to increase to a year the legal timeframe from the point of an offence being committed to prosecution getting under way.

But new figures show there were 68,067 convictions in Scottish courts in 2022/23, a rise of 15 per cent.

And while that is still below the pre-pandemic years, ministers said the change “demonstrated the continued recovery of the justice system”.

… and prisoners are spending longer inside

The average length of jail-term handed down in Scotland has increased by almost a third in the space of a decade.

The mean sentence imposed last year was 386 days in length, compared to 295 in 2013/14.

However, the proportion of people being sentenced for one year or less remains high at 73 per cent.

This is despite Scottish Government policy dictating that courts should resist handing out custodial sentences of less than 12 months, pursuing alternative community punishments for those crimes instead.

Officers who stopped Highlands killer in line for bravery awards

Unarmed officers who tackled a killer in the Highlands are to be awarded for their bravery.

Finlay MacDonald killed one and injured three others in a rampage in 2022 that shocked the UK.

After repeatedly stabbing his wife Rowena at their home on the island of Skye, he travelled a short distance to another village where he killed his brother-in-law John MacKinnon.

He then sought two more victims on the mainland – Fay MacKenzie and her husband John – before being apprehended.

Divisional commander CS Robert Shepherd said the officers prevented further deaths, adding: “It was absolutely amazing what they did.”

Sobering findings in violence study

The prevalence of alcohol in violent crime has fallen by more than 40 per cent in the space of a decade in Scotland.

A Public Health Scotland study reveals drink was a factor in around 37 per cent of violent crimes by the end of 2022.

That compares to almost 65 per cent in 2021.

The proportion of homicides where the culprit was under the influence of alcohol also fell steeply across the same timeframe.

They didn’t start the fire

The number of deliberate fires started in buildings and in cars has dropped to a new low.

There were 278 building blazes in the second quarter of 2024/25, and 206 targeting vehicles.

Both statistics have been trending downwards for many years, with the latest figures representing the lowest since 2013/14.

The Scottish Government data also reveals a fall in the number of false fire alarms.

Early release plans jeopardise victims’ faith in the system

Victims have not been listened to amid moves to release more criminals from their sentences early, a charity has said.

Emergency legislation will mean those serving sentences of less than four years will be set free after just 40 per cent of their sentence in a bid to reduce the prison population.

But Victim Support Scotland warned that confidence in the system will be damaged if victims are not told about their perpetrator’s imminent release.

“The last time prisoners were released early, only two per cent of victims were notified,” said Kate Wallace, the organisation’s chief executive.

“We are concerned that if the number of victims contacted is not increased this time, it will have a profoundly damaging impact on victim confidence and trust in the justice system – their voices are simply not being listened to.”

MBE for firefighter six decades after joining

A firefighter who was honoured by the King 60 years after joining the service has been praised in parliament.

Jim Smith, 83, was awarded with an MBE in the most recent honours list.

He was predominantly based at the Soho Street fire station in the east end of Glasgow, regarded historically as one of the busiest in Europe.

Following the death of seven colleagues in a warehouse blaze, he became a pioneer for fire safety.

The motion congratulating him in the Scottish Parliament by Glasgow MSP Annie Wells has received cross-party support.

New PIRC head appointed

Laura Paton has been appointed as the new head of the body which investigations incidents involving policing bodies.

Currently His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prosecution in Scotland, Paton will take up her new role at the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) in April for a five-year period.

She succeeds commissioner Michelle Macleod who retires this month.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “The PIRC plays a vital role in safeguarding the trust the public have in their police service.”