Police Scotland launch recruitment campaign for more police officers

Courtesy Police Scotland

The campaign encourages potential candidates to consider the transferable skills they can bring to the role of police officer and explains why policing is a job like no other.

The first phase of the national recruitment campaign, which launched in September 2024, featured social media video adverts with real officers telling the story of their journey into the policing.

In November 2024 Police Scotland officer numbers increased to 16,603. Continued recruitment will help the Service to maintain this number.

The latest campaign messaging focuses on the transferable skills prospective candidates can bring to policing with the key message: the skills you need to be a police officer might be the ones you already have.

To learn more: www.scotland.police.uk/jobs/become-a-police-officer 

2024-25 pay deal agreed for police staff in Scotland
A 4.75% increase to pay for staff working across policing in Scotland has been agreed and will be backdated to 1st April 2024.

As part of this progressive award, those on pay grades three, two and one will receive increases of between 5% and 16.34%.

The offer includes increases to call out/standby rates and a commitment to review and improve current working practices in relation to the application and approval of annual leave entitlement. The agreement also includes the continued commitment to no compulsory redundancies in line with Scottish Government policy.

The award is the highest pay increase offered in the Scottish public sector, excluding NHS and is over twice as high as the level of inflation based on consumer price inflation at April 2024.

The agreement recognises the valuable contribution police staff make supporting and keeping people and communities across Scotland safe.

Chief Constable Jo Farrell said: “Police staff provide crucial support to officers to deliver our vital public service and I’m hugely grateful for the dedication, professionalism and goodwill our people demonstrate every day.

“It is right police staff are fairly recognised and rewarded and I want to thank the unions who have contributed to constructive discussions that have led to an agreed pay award.”

Police staff will receive the pay award and backdated allocation in their February 2025 salary.

Negotiations in relation to a pay award for police officers are currently subject to an arbitration process which is expected to conclude in February.