Latest News

Seventh Issue of Emerge Published

Emerge is the regular update for policing and the wider criminal justice community on the work of the SPSA. Emerge is now presented in new interactive PDF format.

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Plans unveilled to speed up forensic support for Scottish police

SPSA Forensic Services has today published proposals to improve the speed, consistency, and cost effectiveness of forensic analysis in Scotland.

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Scots Police Training Revamp puts Emphasis on Hands-On Experience

Scotland’s new police recruits are to complete their formal training faster, and experience more operational time on the streets as part of the largest shake up of probationer training in recent years.

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HEAD OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Superintendent Carol McLean

Director Criminal Justice Carol McLean

As Director of Criminal Justice, Carol has overall responsibility for the management and provision of vital intelligence and information systems such as the Scottish Intelligence Database (SID), the Criminal History System (CHS), Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and ViSOR (Violent and Sex Offenders Register). 

Based in Glasgow, Criminal Justice is home to 70 employees - a mix of both police officers and support staff. 

The officers and  support staff work together to ensure that support is available to the Scottish police forces and  associated agencies on a 24/7 basis, offering an invaluable service to aid them in the ongoing fight against crime.

With the launch of the Scottish Police Services Authority on 1 April 2007 Carol was appointed to the role of Director of Criminal Justice, within the Information Services business area, transferring from her role at the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO).   

Carol joined SCRO on a two year secondment from Lothian & Borders Police in August 2005 as Head of Bureaux for the Criminal Justice Information Bureau and the Intelligence Support Bureau (ISB). In May 2006 she was promoted to Temporary Superintendent in the role of Deputy Director.

Carol has been a police officer for 27 years and has held a variety of roles. Her career has been mainly in CID, focusing on intelligence. She has also worked in Special Branch, the Complaints Department and was an instructor at the Scottish Police College for probationer training.