A new report has praised Police Scotland’s preparations to help deliver a safe and secure Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland carried out a strategic review to assess ‘the state, effectiveness and efficiency of policing arrangements’ for the Games -which run from 23 July to 2 August 2026.
It also looked at the ability of Police Scotland to sustain business-as-usual policing alongside the additional policing needed for the Games.
HM Assistant Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, Brian McInulty, said: “Overall, we found that Police Scotland has established a strong and credible foundation for the policing of the Games.
“We found planning is intelligence-led, risk aware and informed by learning from previous major events and high-profile visits.
“Collaborative working within intelligence, cyber and counter-terrorism functions has been well established
“Resourcing and workforce planning – including wellbeing considerations - have been purposefully integrated into the planning process.
“And the appointment of experienced commanders at an early stage has supported continuity and operational credibility.”
The HMICS review examined areas including operational planning, logistics and partnerships, governance, local policing and specialist policing functions.
The report said that as the UK’s second largest police service, Police Scotland has extensive experience in managing high profile sporting events – including the 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2014 Ryder Cup and the 2018 European Athletic Championships (co-hosted with Berlin).
It has drawn learning from such events to inform and shape planning for this summer’s Games.
Planning has also been influenced by the experience Police Scotland gained from successfully policing other major events including COP26.
Unlike the 2014 Games when funding was provided by the Scottish Government, the organising company behind delivering this summer’s Commonwealth Games – Glasgow 2026 Limited - will meet the costs associated with policing the event.
The HMICS report says it is not currently anticipated that Police Scotland will need to seek the support of additional officers from other UK forces for general policing duties or public order policing – although it notes changes in threat or unforeseen events may lead to this being reassessed.
HMICS inspectors noted that in the run up to the Games a comprehensive programme of specialist policing exercises was set to be carried out, to test command and control arrangements, as well as counter terrorism, firearms and public order capabilities.
Arrangements have also been put in place to deal with any cyber threats that may occur, including plans to provide clarity and reassurance to the public should ‘misinformation’ become an issue.
While Police Scotland is responsible for policing the Games and the King’s Baton Relay across Scotland, Glasgow 2026 Limited has responsibility for providing venue-specific security at the four venues being used to stage events – Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Glasgow International Arena, Scotstoun Stadium and the Scottish Event Campus (SEC).
More than 3,000 athletes from 74 nations are set to compete in 10 different sports, over the 11 days of competition.
The HMICS report makes just one recommendation for Police Scotland – that it should maintain its robust focus on planning arrangements for the Games, while working closely with key partners.
Rather than wait until publication of their review report, HMICS provided Police Scotland with high-level feedback during the course of the review on areas that required further development.
Mr McInulty said: “We consider that while most of the areas of development we identified have already been addressed, the remainder will be resolved appropriately in advance of the Games.”