Published Works and Keynote Presentations

I recently had the privilege to be interviewed about my career by Oliver Laurence for his podcast Protect and Serve. Given my service in Scotland I guess it was almost inevitable I was going to be asked about my former colleague Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone’s statement that Police Scotland is institutionally discriminatory.

I had been mulling this issue over since the announcement; and for me the wrong question has been asked, so the answer is misplaced.

Many of you will have read the recent coverage of the Met’s intentions to withdraw from attending mental health calls, and the accompanying furore over who then is going to provide a service with the NHS not in a position to cope.

Not many are looking at where this problem came from, or some wider impacts on the police per se. I hope to give you that context.

The role of leaders in policing has never been under closer scrutiny, but not all of those in command roles can point to a wealth of experience in operational leadership; former Police Scotland superintendent Martin Gallagher believes that successful operational experience – alongside ability and achievement – should be a cornerstone for promotion to the most senior roles.

A recent Scottish court case that saw a 21-year-old given a non-custodial sentence for rape
– largely in the hope of aiding his rehabilitation – has prompted much discussion about the
age of criminal responsibility; former Police Scotland superintendent Martin Gallagher
believes the criminal justice system needs to be reset to recognise that with rights come
responsibilities, and that offender rehabilitation must be balanced with justice for victims and
protection of the public.

Kilmailing founder, Martin Gallagher, delivers a guest lecture at the University of the West of Scotland, and discusses the nuanced nature of organised crime.

The task of policing has become increasingly regulated over recent decades, largely for well-understood reasons. But has this regulation stifled creativity, autonomy, and the development of 'natural' police officers? Martin Gallagher makes the case for a bit more chaos.