CONFERENCE2025
25to27March2025
MONDAY24MARCH
Lateafternoon/earlyeveningarrivalandcheck-inatTurnberryfrom1600hrs 1930hrs -WelcomedrinksintheGrandTeaLounge 2000hrs- EveningmealintheCrystalRoom
ABIGTHANKYOUTO ALLOFOURSPONSORS.....
PROGRAMME
TUESDAY25MARCH
0900hrs Conferencecommences
Introductionsandhousekeeping
BrianJones,ViceChair,ScottishPoliceFederation
Scenesettingforthenext2days
DavidKennedy,GeneralSecretary,ScottishPoliceFederation SPFJointCentralCommitteeExecutiveReport
KenPennington Independentconsultantonpolicing,counter-terrorismandhumanrights
DavidKennedy GeneralSecretary,ScottishPoliceFederation
ConferenceSpeechbyDavidThreadgold,Chair,ScottishPoliceFederation
ResponsebyCabinetSecretaryforJusticeandHomeAffairs
AngelaConstanceMSP
Privatesessionwithquestionsfromtheaudience ChiefConstablePoliceScotlandJoFarrell
WEDNESDAY26MARCH
0930hrs Dr.LindaDuxbury
ProfessorattheSprottSchoolofBusinessatCarletonUniversityCanada WorkLifeBalance
SeparatesConferencein3sessions
ConstablescoordinatedbyAdamPeppard 1. SergeantscoordinatedbyAndySawers 2. InspectorscoordinatedbyJamesMcLaren 3. 1130hrs
1245hrs
1330hrs
ProfessorJohnGibson TheCanmoreTrust
CoordinatedbyEmma-LouiseRichardson AssistanttotheGeneralSecretary(People&Equality),ScottishPoliceFederation
1420hrs PamelaRodgers Partner,PBWLaw
CoordinatedbyLynneGray AssistanttotheGeneralSecretary(Conduct),ScottishPoliceFederation
ProfessorPaulChristensen
CoordinatedbyBrianJones,ViceChair,ScottishPoliceFederation & GordonForsyth,AssistanttotheGeneralSecretary(Health&Safety)
THURSDAY27MARCH
0930hrs
Conferencecommences
CraigSandison,LordSandison
ScottishJudgeandSenatoroftheCollegeofJustice Victims,Witnesses,andJusticeReform(Scotland)Bill
1030hrs Refreshmentbreak 1100hrs 1145hrs
AnnemarieWard CEO,FavorUK
MindyPretzman USSecretService(Retired),SecurityIntegrator&Consultant
1230hrs Lunchandclose
PERMANENT TOTAL DISABLEMENT
ON DUTY ASSAULT BENEFIT
SICK PAY BENEFIT
UK & EUROPE MOTOR BREAKDOWN
EXTERNALSPEAKERS
ALPHABETICALORDERBYSURNAME
PROFESSOR PAUL CHISTENSEN
Through his research on thermal runaway and thermal propagation in large lithium-ion battery systems under the Faraday Institution-funded ReLiB and Safebatt projects, Paul has sought to inform first responders of the risks and hazards of lithium-ion batteries and hence (hopefully) to avoid injuries when dealing with LiB incidents.
He has given more than 300 presentations to first responders across the world as well as help and advice on an ad hoc basis. He is the Senior Advisor to the UK National Fire Chiefs Council and serves on a number of UK Government and British/International Standards Institute working and governance groups.
He was the recipient of 2022 Motorola Foundation Knowledge Event Series award from the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council, 2023 Faraday Institution Public Engagement Award for “Outstanding contributions to communicate our research on battery safety to the wider scientific community, first responders, policy makers and the general public” and the 2024 Electrical Safety First Safety Innovation Award for “ ….engagement with first responders”.
Paul is Professor Emeritus at Newcastle University, has over 180 publications in international journals and an H-Index of 56. His research focusses on thermal runaway and thermal propagation in large lithiumion battery systems. Newcastle University
ANGELA CONSTANCE MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs
Angela Constance was born, raised and educated in West Lothian. Prior to 2007, she worked as a social worker and mental health officer and was a local councillor in Livingston. She has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament since May 2007, first for the Livingston constituency and now for the Almond Valley constituency.
She has served as Minister for Youth Employment and Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth and Women's Employment, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities. She was reappointed as the Minister for Drugs Policy in May 2021. Angela Constance was appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs in March 2023.
GERRY DONALDSON
Gerry has a Computing Science degree and continues to study Astro Physics and is a leading global authority in Axiology, the creation of value in algorithms and AI integration. He has a Nobel Prize Nomination against the algorithm at the heart of his software.
An ex-Special Forces soldier having served within The Royal Marines, Parachute Regiment and the SAS. His discipline and formative life skills were born there. An Ultra Distance adventure racer saw him compete internationally such as a race across the Sahara 3 times, running 100 miles in 24 hour races, running 1000km’s across the Rocky Mountains and tough ultra-marathons through the jungles of South America. Gerry is an Ironman Triathlete and all round sports person.
He owns an Artificial Intelligence software company, with a focus on Emotional Intelligence and operates his performance business, CCR3 Group in 66 countries and has three main bases, Dubai, UK and the USA. His clients are Boards, Governments, Senior Police & Senior Executives across all Industry sectors, Olympians, Commonwealth Athletes, PGA Golfers and even Everest Adventurers. He uses experiences from this varied background and shows where these common attributes can be developed, to help gain the correct environment for a person or organisation to develop their own appreciation of attaining sustainable high performance, mental wellness, happiness and fulfilment in all aspects of their lives.
He held senior leadership positions with Chrysler, University of Strathclyde, Siemens and Dell. He has signed a Joint Venture agreement with one of the Royal Group organisations in Abu Dhabi and expects exponential growth as a result
Linda Duxbury is The Chancellors Professor in Management and Strategy at the Sprott School of Business, Carleton University. She received an M.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Management Sciences from the University of Waterloo. Within the past several decades (1991, 2001, 2012, 2016, 2022) she has completed majors study on employee wellbeing in the public, private and not for profit sectors in which over 120,000 Canadian employees participated.
Dr. Duxbury has published widely in both the academic and practitioner literatures in the area of work-family conflict, change management, supportive work environments, stress, telework, the use and impact of office technology, managing the new workforce and supportive management.
Dr. Duxbury has received a number of awards and honours and in 2009 was recognised as one of Deloitte’s Women of Influence (2009). She has worked with numerous police services in Canada as well as Police Scotland on issues associated with police wellbeing and change management within the police sector. Her focus in this research is on changing the conversation from the costs of policing to the value police services deliver in the communities they serve and the need for police management to recognise that their officers cannot continue to “just do it all” and set priorities..
CCR3
LINDA DUXBURY
Carlton University
CHIEF CONSTABLE JO FARRELL
Jo Farrell has overall command and responsibility for the Police Service of Scotland and leads 22,000 officers and staff serving communities across a third of the United Kingdom’s landmass.
Chief Constable Farrell joined the police as a constable in Cambridge in 1991. In 2002, she joined Northumbria Police, initially as a Chief Inspector, and was promoted to Assistant Chief Constable, with responsibility for response and neighbourhood policing as well as the communications department.
Chief Constable Farrell joined Durham Constabulary in November 2016 as Deputy Chief Constable before being appointed Chief Constable in June 2019. Chief Constable Farrell chairs the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Digital Data and Technology Co-ordination Committee. In October 2023, Chief Constable entered office at Police Scotland.
John Gibson has enjoyed a career in academic Dentistry and has held various roles at various times, including Professorial Head of the Institute of Dentistry in the University of Aberdeen, Professor of Medicine in Relation to Dentistry in the University of Glasgow, Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean with NHS Education for Scotland, Chair of Dental Protection, Chair of the General Dental Council’s Fitness to Practice Panel and President of the British & Irish Society for Oral Medicine.
He is currently Emeritus Professor of Oral Medicine in the University of Aberdeen, Chief Executive Officer of The Canmore Trust (SC051511) and a member of the Scottish Government’s Lived & Living Experience Suicide Steering Group, and the Suicide Bereavement Support Steering Group. John has recently received an Honorary Life Fellowship from the British & Irish Society for Oral Medicine and has been awarded the President’s Award of the College of General Dentistry for 2024.
On 20th October 2019, John’s youngest child, Cameron, died by suicide at 24-years-old and John’s world changed forever. John now works to prevent suicide, and offer support to individuals, families and communities affected by suicide, through the actions of The Canmore Trust – a charity set up by the Gibson family.
Police Scotland
JOHN GIBSON
The Canmore Trust
LES GRAY
Philip Williams & Co Insurance Management
Superintendent Police, Northern Ireland (Retired)
Les Gray is the former Chairman of the Strathclyde Police Federation and the Scottish Police Federation.
He retired as Chairman of the Scottish Police Federation in 2012 having completed 32 years police service.
Les is the Philip Williams & Co Insurance Management, Key Account Manager, responsible for the Scottish Police Federation’s Group Insurance scheme, ensuring that the SPF and its members always receive prompt, personal and efficient service.
Ken Pennington is a retired Superintendent Police, Northern Ireland and an independent consultant on policing, counter-terrorism and human rights. He has vast experience in counter-terrorism and security-related issues and has been honoured with the Queen Jubilee award.
Ken has served as Commander of Counter Terrorism and Public Order. He has studied many counter-terrorism courses, including the course of Counter Terrorism and Politics from St. Andrews University. Ken has also participated in many international forums on the issue of global terrorism and conducted high level research on world’s top terrorist organisations
KEN PENNINGTON
Mindy Pretzman is a 27-year law enforcement veteran of American policing. She began her career as a police officer in the northeast United States before embarking on an adventurous and rewarding career in the United States Secret Service.
Mindy grew up with three brothers whose passion was wrestling which set the stage for her to thrive on challenges and testing physical and mental limits. Mindy earned a scholarship to compete in field hockey at the highest collegiate level as a goalkeeper. She earned a degree in Criminal Justice, All-American athletic honors, and an invitation to try out for the US National Field Hockey team. The love and encouragement of her parents and family had everything to do with her successes on the athletic field and career.
Mindy's passion for civil service and a team atmosphere led her to pursue a career in police work where she excelled in enforcing the law with empathy and compassion. After six years patrolling the community in uniform, she opted to embark on another challenge as a Special Agent in the United States Secret Service. She investigated crimes that threatened America's financial infrastructure and protective intelligence cases that targeted national leadership.
Mindy rose to the occasion of every assignment and had the honor of serving on the Presidential Protective Detail where she physically protected and conducted countless successful security advances for several United States Presidents. She was promoted to serve as the Detail Leader for the First Lady of the United States (Michelle Obama and Melania Trump) and oversaw all operational security measures whilst incessantly traveling around the world.
While serving in her supervisory role, Mindy also voluntarily and proudly represented the men and women of the United States Secret Service as the Secret Service Agency President to the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA)- a national organisation representing nearly 30,000 members of United States federal law enforcement across 65 federal agencies.
Pamela joined the firm in 2017 as a qualified Solicitor and Notary Public. She is now a Partner and criminal Solicitor Advocate at the firm.
Pamela graduated from the University of Dundee with an LLB (Hons) Law degree and Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. She went on to study at the University of Strathclyde where she obtained the LLM Masters degree in International Human Rights Law. Pamela continued to gain further qualifications and in 2023 was awarded the DipFMS Diploma in Forensic Medical Sciences from the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries following training with the Academy of Forensic Medical Sciences in London. Pamela was also sworn in as a criminal Solicitor Advocate in 2024.
After beginning her legal career with R. S. Vaughan & Co. Solicitors in Glasgow, Pamela gained invaluable civil and criminal litigation experience whilst training under a practicing Solicitor Advocate and Sheriff. She conducted her own criminal trials during her traineeship and was heavily involved in the preparation of criminal cases ranging from low-level public disorder and RTA offences to highprofile civil aviation, rape and murder Indictments.
Since joining PBW Law Pamela has become an integral part of a team which provides specialist advice and representation to private clients and members of the Scottish Police Federation. Whilst managing her own caseload and enjoying a high level of success within the courtroom, Pamela also instructs Counsel in the exploration of complex and novel legal arguments at Appeal court level seeking not only to apply the law, but to set legal precedent along the way.
Pamela’s civil litigation experience is similarly versatile and includes employment law matters and the representation of clients at Fatal Accident Inquiries, highprofile Public Inquiries and Independent Inquiries for various organisations. She is knowledgeable regarding a variety of medical and forensic issues which often arise in cases of injury, deaths in custody or other fatal cases. Pamela also has experience in medical negligence and personal injury litigation on behalf of both pursuer and defender. She oversees an expanding uninsured loss and personal injury caseload within the firm.
Pamela is meticulous in the investigation and preparation of cases ensuring that the best possible outcome is always achieved and is frequently recognised by clients for her dedication, patience and support throughout the legal process, as well as for her legal expertise.
MINDY PRETZMAN
THE HON LORD SANDISON
Lord Sandison is a graduate of the Universities of Aberdeen and Cambridge (holding a PhD in criminal law from the latter) and further holds diplomas from the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1996, and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2009.
He has been a Senator of the College of Justice since 2021. Prior to becoming a judge in the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary, Lord Sandison was frequently instructed on behalf of the Scottish Police Federation to represent the interests of police officers in the Court of Session and the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.
Patrick (Rick) Smith is the CEO & Founder of Axon Enterprise, a company he founded as TASER International in a Tucson garage in 1993 with the mission to make bullets obsolete, after two of his two high school friends were shot and killed in a road rage incident.
In the first seven years of the company, his family bet everything on the company driving his parents to financial insolvency before rebounding to take the company public through an IPO in 2001. The company then sky-rocketed to success and became the top performing stock in the world in 2004 according to the Wall Street Journal.
Rick and Axon have led three major revolutions in public safety technology with the introduction of TASER energy weapons, the creation of the body camera industry, and the introduction of cloud software with theEvidence.com, now the largest cloud software platform in the public safety space.
Rick’s life goal is to lead more technology revolutions with a goal to fulfill his mission as outlined in his book, The End of Killing.
CRAIG SANDISON
RICK SMITH
AXON ENTERPRISE
ANNEMARIE WARD
Faces & Voices of Recovery UK (FAVOR-UK)
Annemarie Ward was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Faces & Voices of Recovery UK (FAVOR-UK) in December 2013. With over 25 years of experience in the addiction recovery field, Annemarie has dedicated her career to advancing the charity's mission, focusing on strategic planning, policy development, financial management, and advocacy for those affected by addiction.
In that previous life Annemarie had addictions to various substances, (not a drug of choice kind of gal, she liked them all till they stopped working). In fact, she says the only substances she hasn’t tried are ‘alcopops’, and legal highs—she got into ‘recovery’ before their introduction—and glue, as where she grew up, glue was for boys and gas was for girls. In August 2024, Annemarie celebrated 27 years of complete abstinence from all mood-altering substances.
Annemarie holds a MA (2005) and a PGC in Competence in Managing Drug and Alcohol Services (2008), both from the University of Glasgow.
As CEO of FAVOR-UK, the UK’s leading addiction advocacy and recovery charity, Annemarie has played a key role in shaping the organisation’s direction and impact. She was instrumental in establishing Recovery Month in the UK, organising 16 annual UK Recovery Walks and Conferences, with over 60 thousand participants and founded the UK’s first dedicated Addiction Advocacy Case Worker Service. Annemarie also drove the creation of the UK 'Recovery Declaration of Rights' and was the key architect in developing and campaigning for the Right to Recovery Bill, which is currently progressing through the Scottish Parliament. This landmark legislation, which aims to enshrine the right to access all paths to recovery into law, is the first of its kind in the world.
Throughout her career, Annemarie has cultivated strong relationships with industry leaders, parliamentarians, and media. She is deeply passionate about empowering individuals affected by addiction and continues to advocate for their rights, dignity, and recovery.
You can connect personally with Annemarie below.
Add her on X https://x.com/Annemarieward or email her at annemarie@facesandvoicesofrecoveryuk.org
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PBW Law has been serving SPF members since 2015 in the most complex and highprofile litigation affecting police officers in Scotland.
With us, you can expect the best in legal counsel, available 24/7, as we navigate the complexities of criminal and civil law to secure a favourable outcome for you.
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SCOTTISH POLICE FEDERATION
Established by Act of Parliament
NINETY-EIGHTH CONFERENCE
28/29 March 2023
M I N U T E S
The Vice Chair, Brian Jones noted the number of delegates in the hall as 112.
Vice Chair’s Welcome and Opening Remarks
Brian Jones welcomed everyone to the 98th Conference of the Scottish Police Federation and declared Conference opened The Vice Chair asked representatives to respect a minute’s silence for members who had passed away since the last Conference
Adoption of Rules and Standing Orders
Were rules and Standing Orders were adopted.
Minutes of 97th Joint conference
The Minutes of the 97th Conference have been circulated prior to conference. They were moved, seconded and adopted as a true record of conference
Joint Central Committee Report
The General Secretary delivered a presentation on the work of the Joint Central Committee since last conference
He started by saying, “since our last Conference here in 2019, the Joint Central Committee of the Scottish Police Federation has had plenty to do. There have been many major operations and events and there have been many changes to our personnel Although you should all have seen the JCC Minutes covering this period, let me summarise some of those for you
Events
Perhaps the most serious of those things, was COVID-19 and as we come out of the back of it I suppose we all can’t believe it actually happened. Let’s not forget those who suffered loss during the pandemic, and we can only hope that in our lifetimes we don’t have to go through that again I’m glad to say that we are we are an interested party in the ongoing Public Enquiry’s We can only hope that the service and government can use the public enquiry to learn from it We will as ever continue to update you on any outcomes or learning as they arrive.
Now Major events have as always and will occupy the JCC officials and our FTOBs diaries Cop 26 was a major operation and I’m glad to say that we should be proud of the police officers who made sure the diplomats and public were kept safe during it. The Queen’s Jubilee; and of course sadly the Death of Her Majesty the Queen. We had all been planning for that inevitable day and the Police officers in Scotland can stand tall in how they conducted presented and performed their duties during that time of mourning We continue and have completed deep dives on the Public Protection Unit and on Police provided accommodation and Further Deep dives are scheduled for next month and again in July and October.
We are currently negotiating the New Workforce Agreement and that will be discussed further in our up and coming Working Practices meetings
Our AGS officials that being Emma Louise Smith for People and Equality and Gordon Forsyth for Health and safety have been extremely busy and I’m sure when our newest AGS Conduct, who’s election shall be at the next JCC will have a lot to keep her going. Brian Jones your Vice Chair will update you shortly on Health and Safety. So what’s been happening in the equality world well we have been supporting officers in all aspects of equality and we have supported officers in 68 Employment tribunals. We currently have 89 officers in the IHR process and glad to say that the SPA and service appear to be getting a better handle on how they are dealing with these and reducing the time that it takes
The Conduct world is as busy as ever and with the Dame Eilish recommendations we wait to see what Government legislation and changes that they wish to be in place We have been quite vociferous in sharing our thoughts on allowing misconduct procedures to continue when someone resigns or retires and the issues surrounding a barring list for those who have been dismissed at a gross Misconduct hearing still leaves us with several questions re implementation and procedure.
Legal
As you will be aware a big part of the JCCs time is take up by legal cases, I can tell you that we have spent nearly 2.5million pounds on Legal advice and assistance and have recovered over 1.1million pounds in compensation for our membership. It is via the voluntary fund that we offer this service to the membership and whilst we have managed to refrain from any increase in voluntary fund subscriptions it is something that we will need to keep a close eye on in the coming months due to rising costs and inflation I’m sure you will agree that the might of the Scottish Police Federation is crucial in this area and Lorna Cunningham your Deputy General Secretary will be providing you with a full update on legal later.
Pensions
As you know we have several claims running re immediate detriment, and we await a decision re the compensation. There are still real concerns over what will happen in October this year when the remedy has to be put in place However we did get some good news from the UK budget which in summary states
The Annual Allowance will rise to £60,000 for the 2023-24 tax year
The Lifetime Allowance will effectively be abolished from 6 April 2023. The legacy final salary schemes and the reformed career average (CARE) scheme will be considered as on scheme for Annual Allowance purposes (so any negative pension growth in the legacy schemes can be offset against positive growth in the reformed scheme)
The maximum tax-free lump sum and retirement will be frozen at £268,275 (except for those with LTA protections
Also due to a recent case in England and Wales a change in the provisions of Eligibility for payment of ill-health benefits is being looked at which in essence means that medical assessments will stop re eligibility of Ill health benefits. Currently we have officers with medical conditions that bars them from receiving an ill health this in essence will abolish this ruling
SPPA have provided guidance on this which I will circulate to you later this week
PNB
Since the inception of Police Scotland in 2013 we have been operating PNB as we did whilst at a UK level.
New regulations and a revised constitution for The Police Negotiating Board Scotland are being considered meantime but in simple terms it is proposed that the PNBS comprises:
Official Side – who are The Scottish Ministers; The Scottish Police Authority; The Chief Constable of the Police Service of Scotland
Staff Side – The Chief Police Officers Staff Association; The Association of Scottish Police Superintendents; The Scottish Police Federation.
Independent Chairperson – appointed by Scottish Ministers Independent Secretariat –acceptable to the Board and provided by the Scottish Government Functions – to consider and make representations to the Scottish Ministers on matters including:
a) Draft regulations
b) Draft determinations
c) Pay, allowances and expenses;
d) Public holidays and leave
e) Hours of duty
f) Governance, administration, and conditions of service which is all currently in draft regulations
Technical Working Group
The PNB technical working group has become a good way to deal with business and the PNB Handbook team have become a busy entity in their own right, and can I thank them for all the work they do to make the reading of the regulations so much easier for the membership.
We have seen the Introduction of Double lock which was well received during Cop 26 duties.
The introduction of all periods of temporary duty performed at a higher rank to be reckonable for pay and pension purposes came into effect in January this year.
And also as of 1 April the Short-notice Rest Day Working Allowance is introduced to inspecting and superintending ranks who are required to work on a rest day with less than 48 hours’ notice of the start time of the required duty.
The allowance will be payable in the following circumstances:
• • • where the officer was required to work on a rest day during a period of on-call, or where the officer was detained on duty into a rest day, or where an officer’s rest day is re-rostered with less than 48 hours’ notice in anticipation of an operational need for which in the event, he/she is not required to attend duty, but the officer chooses to work on the rest day
In each of the above instances the officer must work a minimum of 4 hours in order to claim the allowance.
Such a requirement to work on a rest day would also count towards the excessive rest day disruption allowance
The exclusions are the allowance will not be payable for a specific event or operation where the use of the double-lock rest day mechanism has been agreed.
The implementation date as I said is the 1 April 2023 with officers receiving payment for any requirement to work on rest day from that date with less than 48 hours’ notice.
Pay
On pay and allowances, we achieved pay rises of •
6.5% in 2018 for 3 years, 18. 19 and 20, 1.67% in 2021, just ahead of inflation and 5% in 2022, roughly half of inflation.
I hope you have all seen my pay Circulars this month but let me remind you of the strategy we are following.
In any negotiation, it is important to know your objectives, and the objectives of the opponent.
This year, the Staff Side objectives are Basic Pay, a Pay Index and a Pay Review. Pay needs to rise in line with pay movements elsewhere, particularly in the Public Sector, both last year in 2022/23, and next year 2023/24.
From April 2024, Staff Side believes police pay should be linked to an average Pay Index We had an average pay index from 1979 to 2005, and it took police pay out of the annual battle ground and into a fair pay arena that did us no harm at all.
Some of you might be thinking that the average is a low aspiration, but that is not the case It produces fair pay and for 25 years the police and employers were essentially satisfied with it.
We all know that police pay has fallen behind other workers.
Our special features, those on the long list of bullet points in the first Circular I put out, used to be valued at around 10 per cent. That has been eradicated. We need a Pay Review to reset the value of police pay and re-establish a value for the special features of policing. So that is the Staff Side’s objectives for pay
The Official Side will understandably consider affordability. However, government is all about spending priorities and we argue we should be a top priority. Nothing less.
It seems that extra money can be found when workers go on strike It only seems fair that the police, without the right to strike, gets equal treatment.
In any negotiating process you must understand the objectives of those you are negotiating with. You should start by asking questions. Does the OS believe the police should have: 1. 2 3.
A below average pay rise?
An average pay rise?
An above average pay rise?
We should then move on to the special features list, (which are up on the screen)
• No right to strike
• No right to join a trade union
• No right to affiliate with other pressure groups
• No right to take other forms of industrial action
• No right to take an active part in politics
• We have restrictions on our private lives
• We must follow all lawful orders
• We are accountable on and off duty
• We are required for duty 24/7/365 and have irregular working patterns
• We work a 40 hour week
• We have a complex, difficult, dangerous and stressful job
• We have responsibilities and obligations peculiar to the police
• We are answerable to senior officers and to the law for any error of judgment
• We have a burden of individual discretion and responsibility in the office of constable which is much greater than any other subordinate rank
• We have both obligatory and discretionary duties
• We have the power of arrest and authority to use force
• We are at serious risk of assault and injury as we go about our duties meeting all sorts of conflicts and difficult situations.
So …….does the Official side agree about the special features.
Does it agree these special features should be compensated?
As you know, we are having work carried out on the pay settlements elsewhere for 2022/23 and 2023/24 We are also having work carried out on the recent history of police pay
When that work is complete, we will complete our pay claim
I have committed to telling you and the membership as much as I can about the negotiations and the claim itself will be circulated just as soon as I can.
Now over the past two years we have had many senior SPF figures retire from the service We know of course about Calum Steele my predecessors retirement, and beyond him there has been David Hamilton, Neil Macdonald, James Thomson, Stevie Clark, Heather Macdonald, Andy Malcolm, Gary Mitchell, Jenny Shanks, Amanda Givan, Paul Connelly and Ross Polworth
They have all either retired or moved onto new beginnings. I would like to that all of them for their time as SPF officials and wish them every success in their years to come
Finally, since taking this job, I have met with full time office bearers, area committees and many individual members. It is clear to me that our top three priorities are •
I will be keeping those priorities at the forefront of my mind as we go through this year. Pay Resources and Well-being Member Services
Our member benefits packages in life and critical illness travel insurance salary replacement and home emergency policy has been well received. We did have some complaints re the home emergency and that was resolved, and we now have a different provider
For this year with cost rising everywhere we tried to negotiate and rises to a minimum We did manage to reduce the rise by 50% and include better member benefits however as of the 1st of April we unfortunately will see a monthly rise of £2.52 a month.
As I said to negate this rise and because of how well our scheme performs we have managed to include mobile phone cover for member only also., which we hope you will see as a fantastic audition to our schemes. OUR BROKERS will update you later on the ins and out of the schemes.
Communications
In order at assist you all in our future communications plans we have arranged for all representatives to be given a SPF mobile which will be provided to you all during conference. It has unlimited texts and calls and 25GB of data.
6
We have arranged for your photographs to be taken so that internal posters will be circulated to your local divisions so that our members know who you are and are able to contact you. Also, business cards with your contact details will be provided for you to hand out to your local members You will receive these in the coming weeks
In quite simple terms we ask that you turn your phone on when you go on duty and turn it off when you go off duty.
Our partners at Three are here to help with you receiving those phones and I hope they will see this as a new beginning and an investment in you, your training and your help as we push on our reach to the membership as SPF representatives.
You are the Scottish Police Federation.
Thank you and please enjoy Conference. “
Legal
Lorna Cunningham, Deputy General Secretary provided a full update on the Legal Advice And Assistance provided by the SPF
“As you will be aware the Legal Advice and assistance provided by the SPF is undoubtedly the biggest benefit and protection that we can offer our membership
We now have 9 legal firms on our panel all renowned in their own right as Scotland’s top solicitors. They cover all manner of cases in both the civil and criminal courts, ensuring our members receive the best representation that money can buy.
In individual cases, over the last 2 years, we have assisted 568 officers with the provision of legal advice. We have won 258 cases in court with a success rate of 96% on cases that proceed to hearing or trial. There are currently 613 live legal cases and to date our expenditure in legal as reported by the General Secretary is almost £2 5 million
The membership has been supported in 52 on duty criminal cases and 156 off duty Criminal cases It remains our opinion that police officers are treated differently and held to a much higher standard during case marking than members of the public, resulting in the volume of off duty criminal cases we see.
In the last 2 years we have also represented over 20 officers at fatal accident inquiries not including those represented at the SB public enquiry which will probably run on for another 2 years.
The ongoing cases as reported at the JCC include the Holiday Pay claims, where a settlement is currently being agreed with those affected. Every claimant will receive a minimum pay out of £60 and thereafter a percentage of their individual claim
The WhatsApp case and the right to a private life is one we sadly didn’t win. Despite that we continue to raise issues regarding the private lives of police officers and the intrusion that we suffer like no other profession.
Discussions are also ongoing re a settlement for the 5000 plus officers in the pensions Immediate detriment claim, I will, of course provide you with further information as soon as it is available.
I am hopeful that the long running Allard case will eventually settle this year. Meetings are scheduled to try and bring this claim to a close. The Chief Constable himself has said he would like to this settled so we can only hope that this happens prior to his retiral, otherwise this will be 3 chiefs and no deal. It is a complex matter and trying to access the data required has been problematic, however we appear now to be getting really close and our recent actuarial report into this will assist enormously.
Finally, I am delighted to report we have recovered over £1 06 million in compensation for 78 of the membership and having now taken up my new role I can say that we remain extremely busy in legal, and I am paying attention to the rising costs and continuously looking at ways of providing and continuing the best service that we can.”
Health & Safety
Brian Jones, Vice Chair, reported on the Health & Safety work since the last Conference
“As you will imagine we have been extremely busy on the Health and Safety front since we last met in 2019. I will briefly identify the key areas we have addressed in the last 4 years, we have seen significant successes as well as navigating the Force through the Covid Pandemic- ensuring we provided the best available personal protection against the back drop of a Police Service who were no longer viewed as a critical service.
We encouraged the Service in the re-introduction of hands on first aid training, in particular how to respond, treat and administer emergency first aid following catastrophic blood loss, with the introduction of a new first aid kit with additional training including the use of the compression bandage
The introduction of new state the art body armour, 30% lighter than its predecessor - the introduction of safety footwear – the first time in more than 40 years – following our extensive investigations into the cause of slip trips and falls – where inappropriate footwear was identified as a significant contributory factor, with a huge financial cost to the service.
This has now been resolved.
The purchase of emergency signage which now meets both British and European standards with the introduction of a suitable training syllabus to work safely on the fast roads network Our continued concerns regarding the suitability of Police Scotland’s fleet and their load bearing abilities, which led to a number of Police Scotland safety alerts - the issues surrounding the BMW N57 engine and its catastrophic failure and our collaborative work with the Police Federation of England and Wales following the tragic death of Police Constable Nick Dumphreys.
Driver Training - Our continued challenge to the Service – with regard to the number of officers who are not trained to respond to emergency situations- almost 50% are not trained – how can this be seen as keeping people or our members safe.
Our challenge with the Scottish Government surrounding the introduction of Section 19 of the Road safety act. It does apply to Scotland, and we will ensure our members receive those statutory protections
We should shortly see the roll out of Surefire earpieces which we have supported
Throughout the process. This will provide officers with hearing protection and the enhanced ability to hear radio messages without having to maximise volume in the most noisy of environments
Since our last physical meeting we have undertaken around 80 accident investigations Many of these have seen significant financial compensation for our colleagues who were unfortunately injured in the course of their duties.
Police Scotland’s Estate continues to age, and we continue to press the Service on its statutory obligations. Our efforts have not been in vain – this persistence has resulted in the Service carrying out several in depth audits of their own practices and governance.
The eye watering amount of £300 million to resolve the issues identified by the estates review several years ago, will have significantly risen given the current cost of materials. We will continue to highlight the various issues we identified during our inspections until they are fixed
We have carried out a deep dive into police housing and accommodation, which shone a stark light onto some of the horrific conditions and the costs of living being incurred by our colleagues. To provide a policing service to some of our remotest communities. The service has had to take significant action to remedy some of the worst conditions while the bigger reformation and renovation project is still ongoing.
Following significant concerns raised by us, and initial defensiveness from the service regarding their approach to Legionella management at the Scottish Police College, we have seen a full u-turn and steps taken to completely overhaul the process, to enhance the safety of all our members and colleagues
This brings me to the Covid Pandemic –From the outset back in January 2020 -The Scottish Police Federation were at the fore front of the response and worked with all stakeholders to identify control measures to keep front line officers as safe as possible. We commissioned our own panel of world renowned experts, who together identified the necessary level of PPE to keep our members safe– which was at odds with both Public Health England and Health Protection Scotland. We the SPF - arranged and convened national meetings of all UK staff associations – TO ENSURE all were fully aware of all the challenges being faced on the frontline
We took our own steps and contacted all officers whom we could identify, that may have been exposed to Covid-19 in the workplace and carried out our own health surveillance. This was in order to keep a formal record in the event of any officer’s health deteriorating in the future due to the effects of the virus.
We worked continually at the height of the pandemic and attended the myriad of daily Police Scotland meetings- just at a time when the rest of society were told to stay at home. We maintained that work regime throughout the many waves of the pandemic and continued to press the service to ensure our members received the most appropriate information, instruction and supervision to manage the pandemic as safely as possible. We continue to challenge revisionism of all parties involved who fail to remember the very real challenges of the time – balanced against the backdrop of hindsight, and we will be taking an active part in the covid enquiry.
That gives you a very brief insight into the activities in all areas of health and safety since
Presentation from Craig Sandison, The Hon Lord Sandison – Human Rights Do Police officers have any?
Lord Sandison is a graduate of the Universities of Aberdeen and Cambridge (holding a PhD in criminal law from the latter) and further holds diplomas from the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1996, and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2009 He has been a Senator of the College of Justice since 2021. Prior to becoming a judge in the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary, Lord Sandison was frequently instructed on behalf of the Scottish Police Federation to represent the interests of police officers in the Court of Session and the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.
Chair’s Keynote speech – Chief Constable & Reply by the Chief Constable
David Threadgold, Chair welcomed Sir Iain Livingstone, QPM to the SPF conference He spoke on his address to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Keith Brown MSP and welcomed his views and response to the concerns raised within. The Chief Constable took questions from the floor.
Presentation - Dr Marshall Garrett – Head Injuries
Dr Marshall Garrett is an ex- UK Airbourne and Special Forces Medical Officer who is currently an Independent Medicolegal Expert for over 30 years and Medicolegal advisor to University of Glasgow Medical School
Dr Garrett is an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer in Medicolegal Medicine at the University of Glasgow and an Honorary Contributing Senior Lecturer in Forensic Medicine (Blast and Gunshot Wounds). Dr Garrett is passionate about mitigating risk of Head Injuries in Sport and Forces/Emergency Personnel.
Presentation – Professor Sir Harry Burns
Sir Harry Burns is Professor of Global Public Health and Chair of the Centre for Health Policy at the University of Strathclyde. As the former Chief Medical Officer for Scotland (2005 – 2014), Harry is known for his work in tackling health inequalities. Harry brings a wealth of expertise in shaping public health and health policy and advises Scottish Government, public agencies and charity funders in Scotland, UK and internationally (including Australia, Greece, New Zealand, USA)
Facilitator discussions
Open discussions took place in relation to Police, Public, Policy & Personal as a follow on from the Conference in Crieff, to bring to the attention of the Joint Central Committee the matters that are affecting frontline officers.
Chair’s Keynote
speech - Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans
“Ladies and gentlemen, good morning and welcome to the 98th Conference of the Scottish Police Federation
You will all know by now, that the Scottish National Party has a new leader in Humza
Yousaf. Consequently, Mr Yousaf is the new First Minister.
The timing of this has meant that the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans, Keith Brown MSP, is otherwise engaged this morning He was kind enough to record his address to Conference late yesterday and we will play that for you after my speech
So ladies and gentlemen, the SNP and the country has new leadership, a bit like the SPF. And David Kennedy has just got married So I suppose you could say the Scotland, the SNP, SPF and David Kennedy are all under new management.
I am pleased to say that we are joined this morning by Martyn Evans, Chair of the Scottish Police Authority; Michelle MacLeod, Head, of the Police Investigations and Review Commission, and a special welcome to Katy Miller newly appointed Director of People and Development. Also welcome are all our other guests from organisations and agencies associated with the Police Service of Scotland and the wider criminal justice system.
2023 marks ten years of Police Scotland. I think the major challenge, right from the outset, has been financial. The whole single force project, lying in draft in a civil service pending tray, was based on saving money It is estimated that the budget was cut by around £200 million – an eye-watering sum, and this is predicted to amount to over £2 billion by 2026 We are told that currently, we have a £74 million shortfall in the budget. The impact of this has been and is incredibly serious.
Our fleet is in a poor state with many vehicles unroadworthy and unsafe. We have Concerns about large numbers of electric vehicles being purchased without the necessary charging facilities. Our police offices and stations are in a poor state of repair. Some police provided accommodation is not fit for human habitation Our uniforms are in a poor state and are shabby
We have lost 1000 officers and closed around 140 police stations. We are struggling to cope with over 3 million contacts from the public each year Every day we receive around 2000 emergency 999 calls and over 4,000 non-emergency 101 calls.
The demand is relentless We hear statistics about calls not being answered or dropped and complaints about the way we deal with some types of calls. Undoubtedly, we are struggling to provide the level of service the public wants, and we have to manage their expectations. Cabinet Secretary, the police service in Scotland needs a higher priority in funding and it needs it now.
Since the Federation last met at Conference, much has happened and changed. Perhaps First amongst those was the COVID-19 pandemic. So much loss of life, so many tragic stories, and so much difficult work for police officers
As you know, we raised significant concerns in relation to the Government and police service response to the pandemic, principally but not exclusively, on the health and safety of police officers. We feel our views were not given sufficient weight either by chief officers or Scottish Government Ministers or Officials. We have a statutory responsibility to bring to the attention of authorities all issues relative to the welfare and efficiency of police officers and we do think our views were given sufficiently serious attention.
We were concerned about the lack of prioritisation for vaccines and other services; the value and effectiveness of emergency legislation; insufficient protective equipment; poor cleaning regimes and training and equipment We also had concerns over custody
facilities; cleaning contracts; schooling for police officers’ children; IT for homeworking and operational procedures relative to roadside breath tests and social distancing rules.
Our views have been submitted to the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 Inquiry and we await its views
Since our last Conference, Her Majesty the Queen, Queen Elizabeth died and the public showed its condolences and affection in huge numbers Our members did their duty in ensuring this could be done safely and in an exemplary fashion.
We have had COP26, a massive event for us to police and I think it is fair to say that we handled that very well.
Minister, you have often said that Police Scotland handles major events in a magnificent fashion, and unsurprisingly, I agree with you. But I have to say, that these major events are covered by human and other resources in sufficient numbers, and at an appropriate level, and this is only achieved when the event is centrally funded.
Where there is no central funding we end up robbing Peter to pay Paul and while the event will be policed, all other aspects of the job go short, and the everyday public policing suffers.
People in this room will tell you that often the hardest policing job during a major event is business as usual, not the event itself.
Officers are put under even greater stress than usual and the public are denied the police service they deserve.
I want to make a special mention of something I am very passionate about. I think it’s simply not good enough that Police Scotland, the UK’s second largest police service, is the only one on these islands that do not have body worn video First introduced south of the border in 2001, everyone agrees on its value and not a single word of opposition has been raised against it. I cannot think of another project that would have such a positive impact on operational efficiency.
Cabinet Secretary, I have to say there is no either or equation here, we need an increase In officer numbers and the right equipment to allow them to do the job.
In more general terms, I want to say something about the job of the police Our current statutory role is to improve safety and wellbeing of persons, localities and communities in Scotland.
The old 1967 Act had it that the duty of the constables of a police force was to guard, patrol and watch so as to prevent the commission of offences, to preserve order, and to protect life and property.
We know that no neatly packaged phrase could ever fully encompass what the modern Police service does. Over the years the world has changed and more and more new duties have been placed upon us and, as I will shortly demonstrate, our resources have not kept pace
I think there is a perception that in keeping pace with contemporary issues we have, to some degree, lost sight of the traditional role and duties of the police and have become
more small ‘p’ politicised. It has been said that crime used to be about what you did, recently it’s more about what you said, and most recently it’s about what you think.
We are accused of turning away from some old fashioned crimes and have focused more on online crimes Of course, we must do both Some online crimes are horrendous and attack our most vulnerable citizens and we have to deal with them Once again there is no either or choice, it has to be both
Minister, as I have said, we are facing difficult times when it comes to officer numbers Let me take this opportunity to set the record straight about numbers. It is often quoted that the highest ever number was 17,324. That is wrong. In the first quarter of 2013, the year Police Scotland began, we had 17,496 police officers. The highest number of police in Scotland ever.
In the last quarter of last year, we had 16.570. Almost 1,000 short of where we were 10 years ago Looking at numbers can be a detached, dry exercise, but when you put context on them you see that this type of reduction leads to real impacts on quality of service
· · It shows a lack of confidence in a commitment to a law and order strategy It leads to reduced staff morale and an erosion of public confidence It results in increased workloads for the officers remaining and a reduction in quality of life for people in Scotland.
We have a decrease in patrol levels, increased response times and reduced detection levels.
·
We have a reduced ability to impact on crime and a reduction in community policing work
We are spending incredible amounts of time filling in for other services, particularly in relation to mental health and medical cases The ambulance service simply could not cope without the police service and the social work department is the same.
In one example brought to us, a shift of 6 officers working the treble two shift pattern, for one block of shifts, amounting to a combined total of 348 policing hours told us they spent a total of 63 of those hours, 18.4%, almost one fifth of their time waiting with patients for Scottish Ambulance Service attendance, arranging mental health assessment s over the phone or attending at hospitals and being delayed due to capacity with the NHS.
Of course that leaves the police service starved of resources, the public short changed, criminals undeterred and a real risk of reputational damage to the service. Cabinet Secretary, we also know that pension changes have meant that we have lost a lot of experienced officers recently These pension changes were imposed on us They will see us working longer and paying more for a poorer pension and I can tell you, our members feel very badly treated in this regard.
When it comes to the number of officers retiring early, it is not just one or two. Every year in Scotland, we have between 400 and 500 officers retiring in the normal course of events. In 2019 it was 491. In 2020 it was exactly 400. In 2021 it was 474. But last year, in 2022 it was not 500, or 600, or 700 It was 1076 That has a massive impact
Although we are not recruiting up to where we should be, we nevertheless have a large number of new recruits who cannot be trained to a sufficiently good level because we have too few tutor constables. ·
We have many new inexperienced supervisors and together with the move away from face to face training, it all amounts to an unhappy picture. I make no apology for repeating this, we need support for officer numbers, public service and officer wellbeing fundamentally depends on this
Cabinet Secretary, we have noted your comments about England and Wales and how we have more officers per head of population than them. You have also said they are paid less than us. I have to say that using England and Wales as a comparator is to use a very low bar.
We are a non-party political organisation but I can say that over 20 years under Labour and Conservative governments the police in England and Wales have been very poorly treated That is why our sister organisation has submitted a 17% pay claim And on officer numbers, the context is different, the demographic is different, we have two very different criminal justice systems, corroboration to mention just one feature. Surely your government has a higher aspiration than to be like England and Wales.
Cabinet Secretary, reporting cases to the courts and attending to give evidence, or at least hang around in court waiting rooms, is a massive part of our job. We spend enormous amounts of time reporting cases to the courts only for COPFS to put their pen through them We are told the quality of police reports is poor
I have two points to make about that If we had body worn video this would improve the situation immensely. Evidence shows not guilty pleas would decrease and it would reduce the time wasted investigating false and malicious complaints. And secondly, if sergeants and inspectors could spend more of their time supervising then the quality of police reports would improve.
We know attending court is a police duty but I think we are being let down by the criminal justice system. In some courts in Scotland, around ten trials will be cited per day. Often, only one trial will actually take place The number of police witnesses cited, often with days off re-rostered or shifts changed is enormous A recent study in policing division in the West showed that over 3 months, only 0.6 per cent of officers cited actually gave evidence. Where there are countermands, it is often with only one or two days’ notice and all of the arrangements to cater for the original disruption have to be reversed, often costing considerable sums of money in child care costs. The demands of court on days off and annual leave are enormous and are seriously detrimental to officer welfare.
And finally on the subject of courts, why are the police still delivering citations. Surely it is time this stopped. There is huge potential to save waste in our court system and serious effort should be put into doing just that
Cabinet Secretary, if there ever was any doubt, now we know. Might is Right. With no right to take industrial action the police are at a huge disadvantage and had to accept a pay rise of 5% when inflation was at 10% In fact since 2006 police pay has lost 15% of its value Special features of police work used to be valued at around 10%. That has been wiped out. So when other workers strike and achieve higher pay rises what should the police do? One thing is for sure, we will not be treated as a soft touch.
In my view the police should be different. They should not have the right to strike but should be properly compensated for that restriction. Police pay should be linked to an index and that index should be the average of pay increases paid to other workers The
special features value should be re-established. Police pay should be fair and be seen to be fair.
There are a number of Special Features to our job. We have no right to strike, we cannot join a trade union or affiliate with other pressure groups, indeed we have no right to take any form of industrial action
We have no right to take an active part in politics, we have serious restrictions on our private lives and use of social media, we must follow all lawful orders, we are accountable on and off duty, we are required for duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
We have irregular working patterns, we work a 40 hours week, and we suffer disruption to work patterns and family life to a degree not experienced by any other worker.
We are answerable to senior officers and to the law for any error of judgment, we have a burden of individual discretion and responsibility in the office of constable which is much greater than any other subordinate rank
We have both obligatory and discretionary duties, we have the power of arrest and authority to use force, and we are at serious risk of assault and injury as we go about our duties meeting all sorts of conflicts and difficult situations.
Cabinet Secretary, if you think I am exaggerating or have got some of that list wrong, please tell us today. What we are really looking for is your support for and recognition of the job we do. Successive enquiries into police pay have recognised the difficulty of quantifying these special features in pay terms. The Royal Commission thought they were worth 11%, the Edmund Davies Enquiry heard evidence of 10% and Winsor sought to remove 8% from officers who did not have these features in their particular role.
Do the Official Side have a view on a value? If so, what value? If not, then the Staff Side seek to discuss the eradication or modification of the features on the above list
It has not escaped our notice that other workers are working less than 40 hours per week The average length of the working week in the UK is 36 hours – that equates to a 10% benefit against our 40 hours.
Let me summarise this. Our job is unique. We are at a serious disadvantage over other workers in what we can do to maintain and improve our pay and conditions. We have fallen behind in pay terms. We deserve a fair pay system and fair pay. We have fallen behind inflation by around 15% since 2006, the first year our pay was not tied to an index. Our special features payment of 10% has been wiped out, we work 10% longer than average workers
We know we will not re-capture these losses all at once, but let me be clear, we need to be treated fairly by government this year, we will not be trodden on again.
When pay and conditions fall behind, when they are not fair and seen to be fair, there are serious consequences.
Double the normal number of retirements and the consequential loss of skills and experience. We normally have around 5000 applicants to join the police every year. Recently this has fallen to around half of that number
Minister, we need your help. We are asking for your help. Please back our pay claim when we submit it in the next few days. Cabinet Secretary, the last ten years have been challenging, but we stand ready to provide an excellent police service
We just need your backing, a high priority in funding, and fair pay Cabinet Secretary, thank you for your listening Can I now ask you to address Conference ”
Reply by Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans, Keith Brown MSP
Due to the changes within Scotland and the new First Minister being announced, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans was unable to be at conference in person He pre-recorded his speech.
“Chair, thank you for inviting me to address your Conference. My sincere apologies for not being able to attend in person However, I would like to thank you for making arrangements which allows me to still speak to you all virtually today.
May I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your recent election as Chair of the Federation I look forward to working closely with you and David Kennedy as General Secretary
My thanks to Calum Steele and David Hamilton for their dedicated service to the Federation over many years I was grateful for the open and honest relationship we shared and respected their commitment to delivering the best for their members. They helped steer the Federation through challenging times and considerable changes to the policing landscape in Scotland.
Once again, we are in a time of significant change for policing and for the country. We have a new First Minister and will have a new Chief Constable when Sir Iain Livingstone retires, later this year.
Sir Iain’s contribution to the success of policing in Scotland has been immense and his commitment to the policing workforce is clear to see The new Chief Constable will inherit a workforce worthy of international policing recognition
Can I take the opportunity here to again put on record my sincere thanks to the Chief for a career of service His leadership has been invaluable, and it is very much appreciated On behalf of the Scottish Government I want to thank him.
It is worth pausing here to reflect how far we’ve come This week marks the 10th anniversary of the creation of Police Scotland. In bringing together eight local legacy forces into one national service, there is now a more strategic and consistent approach to policing than under the previous system.
With Police Scotland, there is more equal access to national capacity and specialist services, while building on the strong connections with communities through dedicated local policing teams Fundamentally, it is a national service, delivered locally
It was one of the most significant public sector reforms since devolution and it has been a success, thanks in large part to you and your members I know it has been said before, but I will emphasise again: the role that officers carry out is greatly valued by myself, by the
Government and by the communities you serve across Scotland.
The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to protecting policing in Scotland. That is clear from the significant investment we have made since reform in 2013, £11 6 billion, and that investment continues Against the backdrop of severe budgetary constraints, the Scottish Government recognised the importance of policing by investing £1.45 billion in 2023-24
Despite the United Kingdom Government making cuts to the Scottish Government’s capital budget, we have maintained the police capital budget, which has more than doubled since 2017-18. This will support investment in police assets such as estate, fleet, specialist equipment and information and communications technology.
Faced with making difficult public spending choices, we chose to increase the Scottish Police Authority resource budget by 6 3 per cent around £80 million
That funding will continue to be invested in the policing workforce and I am proud of the fact that officers in Scotland are the best paid in the UK, with starting salaries for constables at around £5,000 per year more than in England and Wales
There have been fluctuations in officer numbers and while officer numbers in Scotland remain higher than elsewhere in the UK, I recognise the impact that pension changes have had on the numbers leaving.
Of course, resourcing and deployment are matters for the Chief Constable, and it is vital he has the flexibility to develop the workforce in a way that responds to the challenges we face The findings of the HMICS review of Strategic Workforce
Planning, published last year, clearly demonstrated the need to focus on capacity and capability
In the face of increasing pressure on resources, I will continue to work with Police Scotland and the SPA to protect and prioritise the police response on those areas where police services can add the most value.
The contribution of Staff Associations is crucial here too and I welcome the strategic commitment in last year’s pay deal, prioritising wellbeing in the workplace.
In this regard, I am pleased to hear of the progress being made in partnership with you through the PNB Strategic Commitment Working Group, looking at a range of demands on police officers and ways in which we can continually improve the working conditions of our police force
In terms of the justice system there are a number of initiatives being taken forward, including the DESC pilot, the Summary Case Management Pilot and the Remote Pilot Evidence Project – all of which seek to minimise the time that officers spend in court.
In Health, I know that work is taking place to explore the support at A&E, the Enhanced Mental Health Pathway for people calling 111/999, as well as the Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) programme.
These are welcome developments which have the potential to reduce some of the wider demands on police time.
This partnership working is a clear demonstration of our commitment - not only to listen
to you - but to work with you to identify concrete actions and drive improvement for your members.
I recognise there are challenges ahead and I know that the last few years have been unprecedented in terms of the demands placed on all of you
Policing is at the heart of a healthy democracy and your contribution to nationally and to our communities is a source of great pride for the country
The policing operation for COP26 in Glasgow was one of the largest to have ever taken place in the UK I commend Police Scotland’s handling of the event, in the full glare of global attention. With less than 100 arrests over the two weeks, Police Scotland showed the world how we do policing by consent.
With the activation of the Operation Unicorn, Scotland was once again in focus as the world watched; and the professionalism, dedication and commitment of our police officers and staff was, and always will be a source of great national pride. My sincere thanks to you all.
The policing of the pandemic, COP26 and Operation Unicorn all showcased Police Scotland’s proven track record of successfully safeguarding the public. These are remarkable achievements, of which you should all be proud and they amply demonstrate the human rights principles embedded throughout the service
This human rights based approach should be part of the DNA of policing and is crucial to public confidence in the police Ensuring the public trust and have confidence in the police is imperative for a healthy democratic society.
We all recognise and must acknowledge that internationally and nationally, public confidence is being seriously tested.
Baroness Casey’s Review presented a damning indictment of behaviour and culture within the Metropolitan Police Service. The findings are extremely troubling and while we need to be absolutely clear that they cannot be applied to all forces, there are still lessons to be learned
We recognise that policing is done differently in Scotland but we cannot be complacent. We need to be confident that the right measures are in place to prevent, detect and deal with behaviour which falls below the standards and values of policing in Scotland.
The Scottish Government is bringing forward legislation this year through the Police Complaints and Conduct Bill to ensure there are robust, clear and transparent mechanisms and accountability in place to investigate police complaints and misconduct.
I welcome the Chief Constable’s strong statements that discrimination has no place in policing and his commitment that Police Scotland should be an actively anti-racist organisation.
And for the incoming Chief Constable there is more to do. Challenges remain around increasing diversity in the police force. There is more work to do on recruitment and retention, to ensure that Police Scotland reflects the diversity of the communities it serves
And there is an important role for Staff Associations too, in ensuring that all members are represented and supported – and that unacceptable behaviours are robustly challenged
This goes to the heart of our shared endeavor – to make policing in Scotland the best in the world.
In the past decade, we have seen significant changes in the profile of crime and demand, including increasing cybercrime and greater vulnerability
At the same time, there has been an increasing focus on how police respond to important societal issues such as violence against women and girls. Police Scotland has played a central role in exposing and tackling deep-rooted problems and the harm caused to individuals and communities.
As we plan for the future, I am confident that policing in Scotland will adapt and step up to respond to new challenges – and you will be at the heart of that response.
Let me close by taking the opportunity again to express my thanks to all of you – to all police officers and staff working day in and day out to keep our communities safe.
You are key to the success of Scottish policing And I want to thank you for your support and challenge I know there are areas where we may not always agree but one thing I know we agree on is that this country has one of the best police forces in the world and we must continue to hold that reputation”
Martyn Evans, Chair of the Scottish Police Authority spoke at very short notice in response to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice to conference. He took questions from the floor.
15 Separates Conference
Constables
Sergeants
Inspectors
16 Workshops Took Place on Health & Safety, Equality, Conduct and Insurance
17 Presentation by Ken Pennington on Counter Terrorism Ken Pennington is a retired Superintendent Police, Northern Ireland and an independent consultant on policing, counter-terrorism and human rights. He has vast experience in counter-terrorism and security-related issues and has been honoured with the Queen Jubilee award.
Ken has served as Commander of Counter Terrorism and Public Order. He has studied many counterterrorism courses, including the course of Counter Terrorism and Politics from St. Andrews University. Ken has also participated in many international forums on the issue of global terrorism and conducted high level research on world’s top terrorist organisations.
18 Presentation by John Kennedy on Forensics and the use of CCTV & BWV
John Kennedy was a Consultant Forensic Scientist at the Government-owned Forensic Science Service (FSS) before becoming Head of Digital Forensics at Key Forensic Services. John is currently the Managing Director of the Forensic Science Bureau Limited where he specialises in the Forensic Analysis and Interpretation of
He has attended as a guest speaker at the National FBI Academy in Quantico, at the University of Indianapolis Forensic Video Analysis Training Lab and at Law Enforcement training and development conferences in Washington State, Washington DC, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago and San Diego. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and has sat on their Advisory Panel for Digital Evidence for Public Safety He is a professional member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences
19 Chair’s Closing Remarks
The Chair thanked everyone for their attendance and for their participation during the facilitated discussions and the workshop sessions. He closed Conference and wished everyone a safe journey home