‘World-first’ police tech programme to be rolled out across Scotland, justice secretary confirms

Scottish justice secretary Angela Constance has announced the phased roll-out of a “transformational” police tech initiative.

Constance has confirmed the expansion of the Digital Evidence Sharing Capability Service (DESC), which began trials early last year.

The system aims to speed up end-to-end case handling by providing a digital hub where prosecutors, court staff, police forces and lawyers can manage evidence.

It is hoped the initiative will cut police officers’ workload and allow for a more “person-centred” criminal justice system, Constance told Holyrood.  

She said: “This is a world first for Scotland.

“It is a crucial reform that will improve the overall efficiency of our criminal justice system, which is to the benefit of saving police time but also enable us to take that more trauma-informed approach with victims and witnesses. In terms of the overall time that cases take from the crime scene to the courtroom, things can be done quicker.”

By allowing the public to submit digital evidence via email, it is believed the system will also reduce the impact of criminal procedures on victims and manage the “risk of trauma” which going to court may involve, a police spokesperson said.  

The system can handle evidence from CCTV footage and photographs to data from phones and computers.

Sheriff principal Gillian Wade KC said: “DESC facilitates easier sharing of digital evidence, which can be crucial for determining the strength of a case at an early stage, and allows for more informed decisions about allegations against an accused person.”

Until April, a pilot of the initiative ran in Dundee, helping to free up 550 hours of police officers’ time and letting more than 150 victims keep their devices during the length of the criminal procedure, which had not been possible before.  

Almost 90 per cent of those who used the system found it easy to manage and would use it again, a Police Scotland survey revealed.

However, the programme has allegedly faced safeguarding issues before. Two years ago a data protection impact assessment by the Scottish Police Authority found the system did not comply with specific data protection requirements for UK law enforcement bodies. 

Responding to potential data protection concerns, Constance told Holyrood cybersecurity had been a “core part” of the programme. She said: “Partners have worked closely with the Information Commissioner’s office and the Biometric Commissioner’s Office,and there are very firm governance procedures around the operation of this programme.”

The system will now be expanded across the Tayside and Forth Valley regions, with the national roll-out expected to be completed by 2025. It will also benefit from £33m of government funding over the next decade. 

Initially, the system be used for summary cases but solemn cases, which involve more serious criminal matters, are expected to be included at a later date.

Constance added: “The nature of crime is changing, and that is why the overall reform of our criminal justice system is absolutely imperative.”