Scotland’s police officers have been found to have very high levels of motivation in a survey conducted by the Durham University Business School.
The survey polled almost 7,400 officers and supporting staff.
The results suggest individuals within policing in Scotland were highly motivated to provide meaningful public service and were personally committed to serving the wider community.
High levels of job satisfaction were also reported by officers and staff across Police Scotland.
However, the energy that officers and staff had to meet daily demands and challenges, was reported only at moderate-to-average levels.
Low levels of energy could mean officers and staff experienced physical fatigue and a sense of feeling ‘drained’ at work.
Leader of the Policing Research Unit at Durham University Business School, Les Graham said it was encouraging to see that the Police Scotland workforce had high average levels of motivation and worked hard to serve communities and keep the public safe.
“While policing can be a meaningful and rewarding occupation, it is also challenging and can frequently be stressful,” Professor Graham said.
“Ensuring that police personnel feel supported and are able to recover from the demands of their work are important factors for individuals’ wellbeing,” he said.
Scotland’s Chief Constable, Iain Livingstone said officers and staff worked to improve the lives of the people and communities of Scotland every minute of every day.
“The findings from of Durham University underline that they are highly motivated by public service,” Chief Constable Livingstone (pictured) said.
“Policing is relentless and places significant demands on the physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of officers and staff, and I thank them for their dedication to helping their fellow citizens,” he said.
Edinburgh, 21 October 2021
