Public safety fears as 64pc of special constables resign

THE number of special constables helping to police Scotland’s streets has plummeted by nearly two thirds in only five years.

The part-time volunteers, who receive expenses but no pay, are used by Police Scotland to help patrol the streets, ensure public safety at events and give evidence in court.

But while there were 1,394 of them in 2013/14 – the year in which Scotland’s 13 police forces merged to create the unified service – nearly 64 per cent have since quit.

in 2018/19, there were only 505 across the country.

The sharp decline has led to fears they will ‘vanish altogether’ in the coming years.

Police Scotland’s own website celebrates the ‘long and impressive history’ of special constables.

Liam McArthur, justice spokesman for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: ‘We are told that the history of the Special Constabulary is “long and impressive”, but at the current trajectory it will soon vanish altogether.

‘The national force has lost almost 200 special constables a year on average, but trained only 50 last year.

‘We’re asking more than ever of the police, but this hasn’t been matched in the resources they are given to deal with issues such as mental health.’

He added: ‘The SNP Government needs to repair the damage done by its botched centralisation.

‘The national force must now get on with the staff survey, protect the future of the Special Constabulary and give officers the resources they need to do their jobs.’

Despite being part-time volunteers, special constables have the same powers of arrest as full-time officers.

This allows them to deploy in support of career PCs in almost every sphere of duty, from street patrols to events such as football matches.

But over the past five years in Lanarkshire, there has been a drop in special constable numbers of more than 100, from 126 down to 21 – while in Greater Glasgow, there was a loss of 89 officers.

David Hamilton, vicechairman of the Scottish Police Federation, said: ‘The Special Constable programme has been a victim of its own success with many officers becoming regulars.

‘Selecting and training suitable officers is an expensive business and the teams that do so are feeling the effect of police financial cuts just as much as everybody else.

‘A fair and sustainable budget settlement would go a long way to helping the service invest in making use of these volunteers.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘While we value the voluntary service provided by special constables to keep our communities safe, their recruitment and deployment is a matter for the Chief Constable.’

Police Scotland Chief Superintendent Alan Wright said: ‘A significant number of people (more than 500) have left the specials since April 2013 to become full-time officers and have either used the role as a valuable opportunity to gain experience or realised that they want to pursue a career in policing.’

A Scottish Police Authority spokesman said: ‘Clearly there is a place for special constables in the rich mix of individuals who contribute to policing in Scotland.

‘What is required in 2020 is more substantive progress by Police Scotland in developing an overall strategic workforce plan to ensure that we have the right mix of officers and staff, employees and volunteers, and in the right places.’

‘Victim of its own success’