Case Study: Scottish Police Services Authority achieves improved search accuracy and operational efficiency with Ordnance Survey

Scottish Police Authority - Customer Case Study

The Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) and its Northern Constabulary Dog Section—responsible for policing some 31,000 km2 of the Highlands and Islands—faced challenges with paper-based map markups and GPS navigation in dense terrain when searching for missing persons and evidence. To improve search accuracy and efficiency they turned to Ordnance Survey data and tools (including OS MasterMap®, 1:25,000 and 1:10,000 rasters) accessed under the One Scotland Mapping Agreement.

SPSA’s GIS team overlaid multiple scales of Ordnance Survey digital mapping onto proposed search areas and routes so handlers could follow precise outlines in the field and upload waypoints for post-search analysis. The Ordnance Survey–based solution delivered greatly increased accuracy, faster, cheaper operations by replacing manual map markup with instant digital analysis, and improved evidence attribution via spatial waypoints—benefits now being considered by other forces.

Scottish Police Authority

Phil Gorry

GIS Developer