In its written submission, Police Scotland states that if legislative deadlines mean the VIPER appointment cannot be missed, then local police officers are required to leave patrol duties and provide the required escort for the prisoneriThe section 22 report states that an Improvement Notice was issued to GEOAmey due to 368 failures to deliver prisoners to VIPER appointments between September 2022 and January 2023..
In respect of the associated time and financial resources required for VIPER appointments, Police Scotland’s written submission states that—
Between 10 July and 24 August 2023, Police provided "step-in" support for cancelled appointments, utilising 75 Police Officers and staff to facilitate 148 hours of escort at an estimated cost of £5,000.