Divisional Commander, Greater Glasgow Division
Policing in Scotland fulfilled a very specific role in support of public health during the height of the pandemic. This new approach to policing was well received by partners.
In early 2021, I outlined my strategic vision for this renewed public health approach to policing across Greater Glasgow Division.
In partnership with Public Health Scotland (PHS), Glasgow City Council and other key stakeholders, we developed a delivery plan to help cement that vision and guiding principles.
Figure 1
Figure 2 – Nine strategic objectives were identified to support implementation of the approach.
Vulnerable people often have complex and multiple health needs and a significant amount of policing demand comes from ensuring their safety during times of crisis. Crucial to delivering this has been the collaboration and engagement with partners to ensure the right support is directed to the right people at the right time.
Greater Glasgow Division’s approach seeks to look beyond behaviour to identify the root cause of the problem and ensure support is sought from partners to prevent escalation.
This new strategy has brought many improvements to how policing across Greater Glasgow is delivered and some key milestones have already been achieved including:
- Establishing an effective partnership with PHS – a critical partner in implementing delivery.
- Becoming a member of the Glasgow City Public Health Oversight Board – where strategic governance monitors best practice and addresses challenges with partners to overcome barriers or concerns.
- Contributing to a successful Naloxone test of change programme – ahead of national rollout (you read more about this by CLICKING THE PICTURE LINK BELOW).
Link 1 – Naloxone Test Of Change Programme
- Establishing two dedicated mental health assessment units – which are now embedded as business as usual and reducing stigma and time spent in Accident &Emergency departments.
- Restructuring the Public Protection Unit – to align with demand which now has dedicated adult and child protection teams.
- Tracking and monitoring the most vulnerable people – ensuring escalation to partners via the Police Concern Hub for those in the higher risk category.
- Established partnership with ‘Routes Out’ – to provide support to vulnerable females involved in prostitution.
Link 2
- Online accessibility to refer individuals to Third Sector partners – when vulnerabilities have been identified as the root cause for behaviour or offending.
- Delivery of awareness sessions – to every uniformed and specialist officer, improving the quality of information shared, focused on establishing root causes of behaviour or offending to maximise bespoke opportunities for support and intervention.
- Continued global research of public health approaches – remains ongoing as the approach develops and evolves.
- Collaboration with the Positive Outcomes Project (POP) – working alongside those with lived experience to support individuals where addiction is identified as the root cause of their offending.
Link 3
- Working with the Wheatley Group – monitoring repeat nominals for both services to provide additional support from partner agencies to reduce anti-social behaviour, mental health-related issues and violence.
Link 4
Officers are feeding back they are grateful for the concerted effort to increase support and reduce demand in conjunction with partners. A recent evaluation of POP by Glasgow City Council shows there is now capacity for 45 service-users with a 75% reduction in re-offending following engagement.
The effort and commitment from every officer across Greater Glasgow Division in embedding our approach has been instrumental in the success achieved thus far.
Planning is well under way to host a partnership summit to test and challenge our approach with partners, celebrate success, identify challenges and barriers, establish the future direction and next steps.
The implementation of the approach has transformed the way policing is now delivered across Greater Glasgow. Through effective governance and redesigning operating models, the foundations have been placed to ensure sustainability for the future.
Greater Glasgow Division’s public health approach to policing is underpinned by Police Scotland’s organisational values of Fairness, Integrity, Respect and Human Rights. It is closely aligned with the commitment to support Community Justice partners as we collectively endeavour to reduce re-offending across Glasgow, focussing on what brings people into the Justice System and how we can reduce the risk of further offending.
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