Thin blue line just got thinner despite SNP’s assurances

POLICE officer numbers in Scotland have fallen over the past year, latest figures show.

There were 77 fewer police officers on June 30 compared to 12 months ago.

It is the second quarter in a row where there has been a year-on-year decline, and means that the SNP has again broken a pledge to keep police numbers 1,000 higher than in 2007.

The snapshot taken in June shows the country had the fulltime equivalent of 17,172 officers, up by two from the previous quarter but 77 lower than the total in June last year.

There are fears that numbers will fall further in the coming months.

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesman Liam McArthur said: ‘Officers are stretched to the extent they are warning that beat policing has “effectively died off entirely” in some areas.

‘They will therefore be apprehensive about the possibility of having hundreds fewer colleagues in future.’

He added: ‘Police Scotland and the SPA [Scottish Police Authority] need to listen to staff and act on their concerns, starting with conducting the overdue service-wide survey.

‘Officers have had to put up with a lot thanks to the SNP’s botched centralisation.

‘We need an independent expert commission to recommend reforms and repair the damage.’

Officer numbers rose after the SNP came into power in 2007, promising to put 1,000 extra police on the streets.

They met this pledge in the quarter from March to June 2009 and it was maintained for several years before the total dropped to the equivalent of 17,170 full-time officers at the end of March this year. The latest figures mean that in June there were the equivalent of 938 more full-time officers than in March 2007.

Senior officers have warned that continued cuts are not sustainable. A report in May claimed officers are suffering ‘change fatigue’ following the centralisation of Police Scotland and the implementation of the Police 2026 programme, which was designed to make the force more operationally and financially sustainable.

The Evaluation of Police and Fire Reform document warned that attempts to make ‘efficien- cies’ have backfired, with cuts to staff, resources and support.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: ‘Police officer numbers remained stable over the quarter and remain significantly above the numbers inherited by this government in 2007.

‘This contrasts starkly with a 13.8 per cent reduction in officer numbers in England and Wales over the same period.

‘Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority are committed to ensuring they have the right mix of frontline police officers, civilian specialists and other support staff to manage the new and emerging challenges of modern criminal activity and keep people safe.’

Mr Yousaf added: ‘The strategy is starting to take effect, freeing up police officers from back-office roles to support policing in our communities.

‘While Police Scotland modernises, it will provide a safe, high-quality service.’

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