Police

Broadly speaking the police have a duty to uphold and enforce the law and maintain the peace. In order to carry out these duties the police are granted certain powers to arrest and detain individuals who are suspected, or are in the process, of committing a crime. Most police powers and functions are devolved to the Scottish Parliament, with only matters of national security, terrorism, firearms and drugs retained with the UK Government.

There are eight police forces in Scotland – Central, Dumfries & Galloway, Fife, Grampian, Lothian & Borders, Northern, Strathclyde and Tayside – created in 1975 as part of a major reorganisation of local authorities which took place that year.  Each force is maintained by a police authority or joint police boards which have responsibility for setting budgets and providing adequate resources for effective policing. However, the day-today running of police operations and law enforcement within each of these areas is the sole responsibility of Chief Constables. Responsibility for policing policy on devolved matters rests with Scottish Ministers.

Police forces undertake a wide range of functions, from uniformed officers patrolling the streets, to specialist tasks such as criminal investigation. The Scottish Police Service Authority provides a range of support services to the eight Scottish police forces and wider criminal justice community.

One of the key functions of the police is to work closely with local communities, authorities and voluntary organisations to promote effective crime preventions strategies. They also have a special responsibility for young people involved in offending. For more information on crime prevention and young offenders please visit these pages on the CJSW website.

For more details on the role and function of the police, visit the Scottish Government website. The Scottish Police Service Authority website provides links to each of the police forces and many of the central support services.

The Centre holds a small number of books on the Police, details of which can be found here.