By Gemma Fraser
Head of content
Text messages reminding people they need to attend court and a drive to reduce bail breaches could ease pressure on frontline officers struggling to cope with a surge in warrants.
There has been a 31 per cent increase in warrants issued between 2022/23 and 2025/26, placing increasing demand on overstretched cops.
Police Scotland ordered an internal audit of the management and governance of warrants, after a previous report highlighted the issue as a growing problem.
Assistant Chief Constable Wendy Middleton warned it was “increasingly difficult to keep pace”, with officers being taken away from local communities to deal with outstanding warrants.
The audit produced a series of recommendations to reduce the demand, including sending electronic reminders of impending court dates to cut the number of people failing to attend.
Work is also underway to provide better support for people released on bail, in an effort to reduce offending and bail breaches, which have a direct impact on the number of warrants issued.
A new report for the Scottish Police Authority said there has been a 16.4 per cent increase in total warrants issued in 2025/26 compared to the three-year average, and a 31 per cent increase compared to 2022/23.
Non-appearance warrants have increased by 15 per cent in 2025/26 compared to the three-year average, and by 17 per cent compared to 2022/2023.
These types of warrants account for 64 per cent of those issued in 2025/26, and cost up to an estimated £8.5m a year in police time and custody fees.
The report said the issue is due to a range of factors, including “social instability, vulnerabilities of individuals, misunderstanding of court dates or indeed deliberate avoidance”.
It also said an increase in warrants could be attributed to greater use of community sentencing, such as electronic bail monitoring.
“This will lead to more reporting of offences, for example breach of bail and other criminality, which means more cases entering the criminal justice system through summons and thereafter more warrants being issued,” it stated.
Gemma Fraser, head of insights and intelligence at Community Justice Scotland, said there was a need to better understand why people fail to appear in court.
She told 1919: “While warrants can be a necessary enforcement tool, they do little to address the underlying reasons why people miss court in the first place.
“There are many factors that can lead to a missed court date. For some, a lack of safe, permanent housing means they do not receive written correspondence in time. Others may face mental health issues or lack access to transport.
“Without addressing these underlying issues, the cycle continues: missed appointments leading to warrants, arrest, and further disruption to already complex lives.
“Across Scotland, justice partners are working together to develop practical alternatives that make it easier for people to attend court.
“These include simple but impactful measures such as text message reminders for people with access to digital devices, as well as tailored support for people on bail to help them overcome barriers to attendance.”
There are currently 11,059 live warrants compared to 10,906 when the last report was published in December.
The Police Scotland audit highlighted a need for “enhanced performance management data and information”, with a new system being introduced in May.
“This not only includes live warrants per division, but includes data on type of warrants, execution/disposal rate, the number of individuals wanted on warrant etc,” the report stated.
“This will provide divisions with greater data and information, allowing divisional senior leadership teams to ensure robust governance and resource tasking and allocation.
“As the ‘Policing Our Communities’ model rolls out across the organisation, this will ensure the organisation is better structured and resourced to prioritise prevention and thus reduce offending and demand within the criminal justice system, which would include demand created by warrants.”
A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) told 1919: “Prosecutors seek warrants only where necessary and appropriate, in line with legal requirements and the interests of justice.
“In every case it is for the court to decide whether or not to grant a warrant.
“COPFS continues to work closely with Police Scotland and the courts to ensure that warrants are properly managed.”