By Tom Martin
Scots still want to see familiar local police officers in their communities, with strong public support for neighbourhood policing, a study has found.
The research, published by the Scottish Institute for Police Research (SIPR), found visible and approachable officers remain closely linked to feelings of safety, trust, and public confidence.
But it also found visibility is no longer just about officers walking the beat, with people also valuing regular contact, marked police vehicles, local stations, and clear updates online.
The findings echo an exclusive 1919 opinion poll published in June, which found that 53 per cent of Scots believe police officers have become less visible in their local area over the past five years.
The report, Lights Under a Bushel? Visibility Research for Police Scotland, was based on 10 focus groups with 95 people across Fife, Tayside, and Angus, including young people, older residents, rural communities, and members of minority ethnic communities.
“It’s at least five years since I spoke to a policeman. The old bobby was an institution”
Research participant
Police Scotland said strengthening the front line and making officers more visible in communities remains a key priority.
Researchers found strong backing for neighbourhood policing built around locally identifiable officers who can build relationships before problems escalate.
Participants repeatedly said familiar officers helped communities feel safer, while several warned that police were now less visible in rural areas, housing schemes, and small towns.
One participant said: “It’s at least five years since I spoke to a policeman. The old bobby was an institution.”
Another said: “You never see them in the schemes; they’re all in the town where they’re not needed.”
The report found rural and peripheral communities can feel overlooked by policing, while younger people said respectful treatment and fairness were as important as physical presence.
Many participants also recognised that officers are under pressure, with police increasingly dealing with mental health crises, vulnerability, and wider social issues as well as crime.
Professor Karen McArdle, of the University of Aberdeen, who co-authored the report, said: “Police visibility in the modern era extends beyond the traditional image of officers on foot patrol.”
The study said visibility today includes foot, cycle and vehicle patrols, as well as local engagement, partnership working, police buildings, and digital communication.
It recommended supporting neighbourhood policing with locally identifiable officers, targeting visible patrols where fear of crime or community concern is highest, and improving engagement with young people and groups that are seldom heard.
It also called for clearer communication about police roles, powers, priorities and outcomes, and greater recognition of digital communication as part of modern police visibility.
The research was carried out by Professor McArdle, Kirsty Forrester, of Dundee City Council, and Dr Alan Mackie, of the University of Dundee.
Deputy Chief Constable Bex Smith told 1919: “The Chief Constable has made it clear her priority is to strengthen our front line and provide a visible, proactive policing presence in our communities across the country.
“We have set out a vision for policing of safer communities, less crime, supported victims and a thriving workforce, and we are taking steps to achieve these ambitions.
“We’ve driven efforts to focus our response on threat, harm and risk and on problem solving which can prevent crime and help to reduce demand.
“We are also committed to ensuring a thriving workforce by acting on key priorities, such as estates, equipment, and workforce pressure, identified during the Your Voice Matters survey.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said the police service would “always be both visible and at the heart of our communities”, adding that record investment would allow the force to recruit new officers and maintain officer numbers at 16,500.
They added: “The importance of community policing is recognised in the Scottish Government’s Strategic Police Priorities, which were revised in 2023.
“Police Scotland’s three-year business plan also includes a number of measures aimed at enhancing local policing to help keep our communities safe.”