HMICS - Assurance review of Police Scotland demand analysis and management

29 June 2021

This review of Police Scotland’s demand analysis and management is intended to highlight the significant efforts the service has made to develop its understanding of demand, as well as identifying some areas for improvement. Demand data and analysis are vital for making informed plans for resources and budget, ultimately ensuring that resources are deployed to best meet the needs of the public.

The importance of assessing and managing the demand on policing services in Scotland is heightened by the twin pressures of the impending UN climate change conference and continuing to police restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of Covid-19.

Being able to articulate the wide and competing demands for policing is not a new concept, but has become more acute as pressures on budgets have increased, states the assurance review by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS).

Mrs Gill Imery QPM, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, said: ”Demand data and analysis are vital for making informed plans for resources and budget, and to create a sustainable model of policing. The ultimate aim must be to ensure that public resources are deployed to best meet the needs of the public.

“This inspection highlights the significant efforts the service has made to develop its understanding of demand, as well as identifying some areas for improvement. There have been various attempts over the years to capture the demand for policing and indeed it featured in the work leading to the formation of the single national service.

The report contains 12 recommendations and identifies a number of areas for further development which will help Police Scotland to meet future financial and operational challenges.

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