Our business

Commissioner's foreword

As I present my first strategic plan as the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner, it is in the knowledge that the organisation which I lead is now firmly embedded within the justice framework in Scotland and that there is an increased public awareness of my role.

My predecessor recognised the difficulties in accurately forecasting the levels of demand in advance of the inception of the PIRC in 2013 and the last three years have provided an opportunity to draw on collated information to assess, analyse and plan our strategic direction for 2016-19.

This Strategic Plan details my objectives for the next three years. It drives my annual Business Plan, which in turn, sets out the organisation’s key business objectives and its performance against them.

In setting the strategic objectives for 2016- 19, my vision is to secure and increase public confidence in policing in Scotland by supporting continuous improvement, promoting positive change and thereby driving up standards 
in policing bodies operating in Scotland.

In seeking to deliver our strategic objectives, I will continue to work with key 
stakeholders to deliver results and value.

Over the next three years, I look forward to engaging in ongoing discussion on how 
police misconduct, corruption and complaints about the police generally are dealt with and the level of independent investigation considered to be appropriate for these matters. Thereafter, the pace of any change will be influenced by policy development, public desire and the level of engagement by policing bodies operating in Scotland.

To ensure the organisation’s capacity to adapt to an evolving portfolio of business and deliver its strategic objectives, it is important that the PIRC has the necessary structure and resources in place and that staff are fully equipped to meet the business challenges ahead. I will maintain dialogue with the Scottish Government regarding resourcing and I am committed to the ongoing professional and personal development of my staff through programmes of specialist training, to maximise their skills and capability. I will continue to recruit high calibre staff to ensure optimum effectiveness in all areas of our work and continue to support the trainee investigator programme to encourage a diverse workforce, which reflects the society it is required to serve. I am confident that these steps, aimed at keeping pace with the changing face of justice in Scotland, along with the strategic objectives contained in this Plan will deliver the vision to secure and increase public confidence in policing in Scotland.

Kate Frame
Commissioner