Review of the early implementation of the Contact Assessment Model

31 October 2019

The aim of this review was to assess the early implementation of the Contact Assessment Model (CAM) and provide feedback on its operation to Police Scotland.

CAM is a new means by which Police Scotland will manage requests for police assistance made by the public and other agencies. Calls to 999 and 101 will be assessed for Threat, Harm, Risk, Investigative opportunity, Vulnerability and the Engagement required to resolve the issue (THRIVE). The THRIVE assessment will help Police Scotland to choose the most appropriate policing response whether it be immediate, prompt, a local policing appointment or other resolution (such as advice, signposting or direct crime recording). CAM replaces Police Scotland’s previous approach which relied on policies, standard operating procedures and the default prioritisation of calls which dictated how police would respond.

HMICS reviewed how CAM is being implemented in Phase 1, which began on 12 June 2019 and involved CAM being applied to calls received from two local policing divisions (Dumfries and Galloway and Lanarkshire).

Publication type: 
Inspection report