Thematic inspection of police response to drug harm reduction

Recommendation 1

Police Scotland should publish a clear policy on drug harm reduction, ensuring it is accessible to officers, staff and partner agencies to support a consistent and co-ordinated approach.

Recommendation 2

Police Scotland should take a more active role in identifying and sharing learning and good practice to promote consistency across divisions, and update intranet pages to ensure officers and staff receive timely updates on important developments to support their work in drug harm reduction.

Recommendation 3

Police Scotland should define its role and purpose in supporting the public health approach to drug harm prevention, and provide guidance to police officers on how to balance this with enforcement responsibilities.

Recommendation 4

Police Scotland should establish a mechanism to review and evaluate the effectiveness and benefits of its involvement in Alcohol and Drug Partnerships – and share findings with officers and staff.

Recommendation 5

Police Scotland should assess the benefits of police officer participation in partnership initiatives, identifying and sharing learning to promote consistency in delivery, and to support the broader adoption of effective arrangements.

Recommendation 6

Police Scotland should improve communication and co-ordination between specialist units and frontline policing teams through regular briefings and enhanced intelligence sharing (where appropriate) to ensure aligned priorities and improved operational efficiency.

Recommendation 7

Police Scotland should establish outcome measures and targets for drug harm prevention, and monitor performance against these to track progress, evaluate operational activities and demonstrate impact.