NOTEBOOK
Round-up of policing and justice developments
The number of officers injured during training almost doubled last year, new statistics have shown.
There were 138 cop injuries recorded in 2024/25 during safety training or refresher courses, compared to 76 the previous year, and 65 in 2022/23.
In addition, nine probationers were hurt, although no injuries were noted among special constables.
The freedom of information response from Police Scotland revealed a total of 296 injuries across three years.
Policing the upcoming Commonwealth Games will cost in the region of £1.6 million, a new report has revealed.
Glasgow was chosen as an emergency host after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out, with the city delivering a stripped-back event 12 years after hosting the full games in 2014.
Half a million spectators are still expected for the event in July, as well as 3,000 athletes. An audit into Police Scotland’s readiness stated the costs would be covered in full by Glasgow 2026 Ltd.
It added that no new equipment, technology or training would be required to police the event. “There is a clear governance structure in place to support and provide oversight for the planning and delivery of policing the Games,” it said.
More than 10,000 incidents containing footage from new police body-worn video cameras have been prepared for prosecutors, it has emerged.
Officers have wasted no time in putting the new devices to use since their rollout began last year.
The 10,683 incidents, which themselves include 27,299 recordings, have been exported to the Digital Evidence Sharing Capability system ready to share with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
Last month, 1919 revealed that police have captured a total of 433,000 recordings, with the verdict from the front line on the technology overwhelmingly positive.
Two officers and a Police Scotland horse have been recognised for their bravery by Jo Farrell.
The Chief Constable’s Bravery and Excellence Awards took place at a ceremony last month.
PC Kevin McGhee was honoured after attending a domestic violence stabbing, where the culprit set the top floor flat on fire.
He entered the property despite the flames, and dragged the man to safety and to face justice.
PC Alana Whitby was recognised for resolving a hostage incident where a male was holding a nine-week-old baby at knife-point.
And police horse Cathcart was given a lifetime achievement award for patrols over 13 years of service.
Transport cops have made dozens of “lifesaving interventions” across Scotland, according to a new report.
Between July and September last year, there were 49 incidents where officers intervened to save lives, usually concerning vulnerable people trespassing on railways.
One case on the Fife coast was highlighted where the British Transport Police worked with the coastguard and RNLI to locate a high-risk missing man.
Their “persistence” was hailed as they located him and handed him over to healthcare professionals.
“Officers continue to be regularly involved in lifesaving interventions,” the official report said.
The high rate of drug-drivers on Scotland’s roads continues to place extreme pressure on police forensics services.
Between October and December there were around 1,000 cases sent for testing, well above initial projections when the law was strengthened in 2019.
The forensics department, with the help of a single external outsourcing company, has just about managed to process tests on time.
However, with more testing schemes to be rolled out, it is expected the number of positive drug-drive tests will rise considerably.
Bosses are working on a business case to “deliver a sustainable criminal toxicology service for the people of Scotland”, a Scottish Police Authority report said.
But the “risks associated with insufficient planning” could mean drug-drivers are let off the hook, if all tests can’t be completed within the six-month legal timeframe.
Air fryers have been involved in dozens of fires in Scotland over the past four years, new figures have revealed.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has attended 56 blazes since 2022 where the devices were referenced in incident reports.
Most of the fires occurred in homes, with the vast majority extinguished within an hour.
Research by 1919 also shows that around half of the incidents were blamed on a fault with the product, with only one because of negligent use.
Although the fires caused no fatalities, two people were hospitalised and a further six required on-the-scene first aid.
A police dog has helped officers intercept drugs at a Shetland postal sorting office.
PD Bravo sniffed out the illegal substances in Lerwick last month, indicating to officers which packages he suspected.
They then found nearly £40,000 worth of illegal substances.
Chief Inspector Chris Sewell said: “We are determined to protect Shetland by disrupting the supply and distribution of harmful substances, preventing them being circulated in our community and addressing the concerns of local people.”
New laws on pavement parking have raked in hundreds of thousands of pounds in Glasgow, 1919 has learned.
Since the introduction of penalties in January last year, more than 4,000 motorists have been caught.
Parking wardens in the city most often targeted Shelley Road, which is often used by staff, patients and visitors to the nearby Beatson cancer unit.
Earlier this year, 1919 reported that drivers in Edinburgh have coughed up nearly £500,000 in pavement parking fines.
One of Scotland’s oldest legal bodies is consulting members on updating its communication methods.
The Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow, founded in 1668, wants to hear from the area’s legal community on how best to provide advice and information.
Chief executive John McKenzie said: “We’re always looking for better ways to keep members and the wider legal community informed and involved.
“We would urge as many members as possible to have their say on shaping our future communications.”
A request for all correspondence between Police Scotland and other agencies relating to the sell-out Oasis concerts in Edinburgh last year has been rejected by the force.
A submission via freedom of information legislation for the details from all meetings and discussions was refused on the grounds of ‘prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs’.
Responding to 1919‘s request, Police Scotland said: “Information is exempt if its disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation.
“It is essential that there be some scope for privacy of discussion/ communication where it is assessed that disclosure would inhibit the ability of Police Scotland to discuss such matters freely with partners, in the future.”
The Oasis concerts attracted more than 200,000 fans over three nights in August, leading to a major policing operation.