Frontline focus review of tools of the trade

The Chief Constable’s stated intention to make local policing an attractive place to work, and to boost the morale of frontline officers and staff, is very welcome. Frontline officers and staff are operating in remarkably challenging environments; they are the face of the service, and the quality of service they provide affects the overall trust and confidence the public have in the police service.

Ensuring that officers and staff have access to uniform and equipment that is high-quality, comfortable and effective is of critical importance. This frontline focus review shows that more work is required in engaging frontline officers and staff about their uniform and equipment requirements. While we heard of some very positive recent developments - notably, improvements to officer safety equipment and training, as well as the rollout of body worn video ‑ we also heard that the overall quality and fit of uniform clothing needs to improve.

Many officers and staff are purchasing their own items of uniform. This leads to a lack of uniformity across the service and it is, quite frankly, unacceptable that officers and staff find themselves in this position. Similarly, we heard about (and saw evidence of) a drop in the overall standards of uniform appearance. The identification of police officers when wearing uniform provides reassurance to the public. The wearing of police hats is a key aspect of this and we believe that Police Scotland should consider the different types of hats available and be clear about the circumstances in which they should be worn.

We want this review to be of practical relevance to frontline officers and staff, so have aimed to be as concise and focused as possible. In their engagements, our inspectors found a real strength of feeling from officers and staff about the standard of their uniform and equipment. In response, we have made 6 recommendations and highlighted a further 16 areas for development.

We conducted benchmarking with British Transport Police and with The Metropolitan Police Service and have highlighted specific examples of best practice we found during these visits (particularly the way frontline officers and staff are engaged by these organisations). The support we received from Police Scotland has been exceptional and I am very grateful to all officers and staff who contributed to this review. I would also like to thank colleagues from British Transport Police and The Metropolitan Police Service for their support and assistance.

Craig Naylor

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary
September 2025