HMICS to inspect police response to historic murder, child abuse and organised crime in new inspection plan

Police Scotland’s handling of historical and unsolved murders, allegations of child abuse and organised crime will come under scrutiny by inspectors.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) has set its scrutiny plan for the next three years, and a number of police work areas have been selected for review.

Inspectors from HMICS will embark on a new phase of scrutiny into Police Scotland’s handling of domestic abuse cases, including the investigation of cases where a police officer or member of police staff may be the victim or perpetrator.

They will also consider how effectively policing in Scotland is meeting the needs of local communities and examine how well Police Scotland addresses violence and violent crime.

The new HMICS scrutiny plan for the period April 2025 to March 2028 details eight areas of police work where the organisation plans to conduct thematic reviews and six areas where they will carry out audit and assurance reviews.

It notes numerous areas where HMICS will work jointly with others on inspections, including a review with the Auditor General for Scotland to provide assurance that the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and Police Scotland are operating efficiently, effectively, and delivering Best Value.

HMICS will also undertake a rapid strategic review of the planning for the policing of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Glasgow.

This inspection will assess the level of preparedness, governance arrangements, and resource planning for both the event itself and the ‘business as usual’ policing of Scotland over the duration of the sporting event.

The areas of policing chosen for inspection were decided following a widespread consultation, where serving and former police officers and staff, local authorities, charities supporting victims of crime, criminal justice bodies, elected members, and members of the public were amongst those asked to give their views on which sectors of policing they would like HMICS to review.

HMICS announce three-year scrutiny plan for Police Scotland iStock

Craig Naylor, HM chief inspector of constabulary in Scotland, said: “The aim of everything we do at HMICS is to drive improvement in policing across Scotland.

“In setting our scrutiny plan for the next three years, we identified the areas where we feel our work will have the most impact.

“It was important that we considered a number of key questions, including if it was in the public interest to inspect a particular issue, if we could add value by carrying out an inspection, and if this topic related to an identified high-risk area.

“I am extremely grateful to everyone who took the time and effort to share their views with us during our consultation period for this plan. It has allowed us to develop a strong, evidence-based approach to the priority areas for scrutiny.”

HMICS was set up to investigate the ‘state, efficiency, and effectiveness’ of Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority.

As well as setting its own scrutiny programme for inspections, it can be directed by the Scottish Government to scrutinise anything relating to the SPA or Police Scotland they consider appropriate.

Four topics from the previous HMICS scrutiny plan have been carried over into the new scrutiny plan, including examining Police Scotland’s approach to identifying and tackling cyber-crime and a review of the training of probationer officers both in their initial stages at the Scottish Police College and throughout their two-year probationary period.

New topics for the 2025-2028 scrutiny plan include an examination of how well Police Scotland prepares for the implementation of new or amended legislation and a review of Police Scotland’s Policing Together strategy, which aims to help Scotland’s national police force become an anti-discriminatory organisation.

Mr Naylor was appointed HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland in 2022 and has recently had his tenure in the post extended until March 2028.

He said: “The pace of change within policing in Scotland remains significant.

“I am committed to ensuring the highest standards of scrutiny and assurance work of policing in Scotland continues and will keep this scrutiny plan under regular review, publishing any revisions as appropriate.”

A new section on the HMICS website lists recommendations made in inspection reports to improve policing. It reveals which recommendations have been met and which are currently outstanding.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We will continue to work with HMICS as we seek to constantly improve how we serve the public.”