by BILL HEANEY
No room in the jail – prisoners have to be taken for miles across the Erskine Bridge and over the Rest and Be Thankful to be locked up.
The number of custody cells available across the country currently stands at 826 at full capacity.
However, according to figures obtained by a Freedom of Information request, the force is currently operating with just 625 cells.
The 32 cells located in Falkirk are also currently out of service due to estate works, which are due to last ten weeks.
Police Scotland said the number of cells available has “changed and evolved to reflect current demand” since 2013.
The Scottish Police Federation (SPF) has warned that officers are being taken away from frontline duties for extended periods to transport those arrested to empty suites outside of their area.
Dunoon officers have been required to travel to Bute and Lochgilphead to pick up arrested people and take them to Greenock Police Station.
SPF general secretary David Kennedy revealed that members have raised concerns regarding the reduced capacity of custody cells throughout the country.
He told STV News: “Custody is a vital part of the policing and criminal justice process, and when local custody facilities are unavailable, officers can find themselves spending significant periods transporting and supervising prisoners far from the communities they are responsible for policing.
“This removes officers from frontline duties for extended periods, reduces local resilience, and inevitably places additional pressure on colleagues who remain available to respond to incidents.
“We are also hearing concerns that police officers are increasingly being told custody facilities are full or closed when staffing shortages arise.
“On the occasions that officers are redeployed to cover shortages, it means that an officer is taken away from frontline policing duties, placing further strain on already stretched resources. “
Chief superintendent Christopher Stewart added: “Custody provision exists across Scotland to ensure we keep communities safe and when someone is required to be arrested and brought into police custody, they will be.
“Our estate allows for the stand-up of additional custody centres in response to operational demand. Our priority is ensuring a safe and secure environment for our people, and those who are brought into custody, whilst also protecting the public from harm.”
Just another example of utterly rotten wasteful public service.
Trust in the Police, their quality of service and indeed their integrity is at an all time low.