THIN BLUE LINE: SNP MUST LISTEN TO POLICE OFFICERS AND STAFF, SAYS LIBDEM MP

BY Bill Heaney

Scottish Liberal Democrat deputy leader and former police officer Wendy Chamberlain MP has today said that the SNP government must listen to the needs of police officers and staff as new figures revealed that officer numbers have dropped by almost 1,000 since Police Scotland was formed.

As at the end of June last year, the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers fell to 16,207- the lowest number of officers in the 17 years for which we have data.

As at the end of December last year, officer numbers are now slightly up at 16,508. However, this still represents a drop of fall of almost 1,000 officers compared to the first quarter in 2013 when Police Scotland was formed (17,496).

The Scottish Police Federation has previously stated that the service has been “asset stripped and basically used as a cash cow”.

Wendy Chamberlain, left, said: “Since Police Scotland was formed, there has been a persistent, downward trend in officer numbers. While there has been some improvement compared to the most recent quarters, numbers are still bouncing along the bottom.

“Fewer officers puts communities at greater risk and leaves those who remain feeling unsupported and stretched dangerously thin.

“It is no wonder that policing bodies have warned of a public safety crisis. The Scottish Government must heed these warnings and meet the needs of officers and staff through proper resourcing.”