Yes. Scotland already has its own police service, Police Scotland, which is supervised by the Scottish Police Authority. Scotland’s police service safeguards strong local policing in our communities and ensures that specialist national expertise and equipment – like firearms units or major investigation teams – are available whenever and wherever they are needed.

Scotland has over 1,000 additional police officers in our communities compared with 2006/07 and crime clear-up rates by the police are at their highest level for 35 years.

Source: Scotland's Future, Scottish Government, November 2013.

Following independence, the functions of UK forces currently operating in Scotland – the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police and Civil Nuclear Constabulary – will come under Scottish control.

The Scottish Government is already seeking agreement with Westminster to integrate the functions of the British Transport Police into Police Scotland. The Scottish Government intends that, with independence, the functions of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary in Scotland will also be integrated into Police Scotland.

Just as now, policing functions in relation to defence interests will be required in an independent Scotland and posts will be needed to undertake those functions. An independent Scottish government will be able to determine the most effective and efficient way of managing those functions.

Source: Scotland's Future, Scottish Government, November 2013.

Yes. There are existing well-established arrangements to ensure effective cross-border co-operation between Police Scotland and forces in the rest of the UK. It will be in the shared interests of Scotland and the rest of the UK to ensure that these practical arrangements continue following independence.

Source: Scotland's Future, Scottish Government, November 2013.

Yes. 999 will remain the number to call for police, fire, ambulance and coastguard services in an independent Scotland.

Scotland also has its own national police non-emergency phone number – 101. People can call 101 to get advice about crime prevention or to report a crime that doesn’t need an emergency response.

Source: Scotland's Future, Scottish Government, November 2013.

Scotland’s Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce ensures that relevant agencies work together to tackle serious and organised criminals in our communities.

The new Scottish Crime Campus at Gartcosh will provide purpose-built, specialist accommodation for 1,100 staff from the police and other agencies to work together even more closely to protect Scotland from the threat of serious and organised crime.

Source: Scotland's Future, Scottish Government, November 2013.

There are existing well-established arrangements to ensure effective co-operation between Scotland’s Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce and the National Crime Agency. It will be in the interests of all agencies involved in combatting serious and organised crime to continue this practical co-operation following independence.

Source: Scotland's Future, Scottish Government, November 2013.