Public safety fears over 800 Police Scotland staff cuts

It would wipe out most of the 1000 more officers recruitment pledge made by the SNP that was made when the party came to power in 2007.

The pledge came as police officer numbers were at 16,234. Budget cuts mean an operating model of 16,600 for this year.

Union leaders are further concerned that some 230 of the force's 5900 police staff could be cut, including fingerprint examiners, forensic examiners, 999 call handlers, custody staff, high-speed driving instructors, cybercrime experts, payroll, human resources and IT staff.

The SNP administration entered two Holyrood elections with a manifesto commitment to deliver 1,000 extra officers on 2007 levels, preventing the number falling below 17,234.

The SNP manifesto in 2007 promised "1000 more police" and refers to these "officers becoming part of the fabric of communities".

But manifesto pledges to maintain the extra 1,000 police officers was dropped as a manifesto pledge by Nicola Sturgeon in 2016.

Unison leaders have aired their concerns over more than £70m in budgets cuts which would lead to swingeing staffing cuts.

And the Scottish Police Federation, which represents officers in the ranks of constable, sergeant, inspector and chief inspector has raised concerns to the new chief constable Jo Farrell that there needs to be more support for front line policing.

An SNP pledge to recruit 1000 extra police officers was fulfilled in 2011 when the number reached 17,263, up 1,029 on 2007 from when the SNP came to power.

The Scottish Government, in commentary over the recruitment pledge believed that they would not just deliver but go "substantially beyond" that by looking at recruitment, rentention and redeployment.

But a £10m black hole in Police Scotland spending is expected to see staff numbers cut and resources slashed.

Scottish Police Authority (SPA) modelling shows that the 2023/24 budget has an assumption that the overall workforce will be cut by 3.7%.

That means a budgeted force that would be cut by more than 600 from 17,234 to a new operating mode of 16,600 this year.

"The gains that have been made in the past have been wiped away and it will have an impact on all communities in feeling safe," said Unison regional organiser Deborah Clark.

"The people of Scotland shouldn't feel safe. it is really worrying and a massive problem for Scotland."

The SPA assumes a reduction of Police Scotland staff will be through "vacancy management", voluntary redundancy and voluntary early retirement.

And it highlights a threat that current use of overtime is "not sustainable" in the long term "creating a risk that spend cannot be managed within budget".

The SPF is concerned that the number of police officers working in Scotland has fallen, despite a pledge by the Scottish government to safeguard the number of officers on the street, in order to protect the public.

They feel the original agreement to recruit 1,000 extra officers should have ensured numbers never fell below the numbers reached in 2011.

"But this pledge has since been abandoned by the Scottish Government," the federation said.

The SPF has previously highlighted the issues facing police officers on a daily basis, including reduced staffing levels, crumbling infrastructure, lack of equipment and pay cuts, all contributing to low morale. The SPF say officers are often called to deal with issues that arise from overstretched public services such as mental health services.

Deputy Chief Constable David Page told MSPs last year that Scottish Government plans to freeze Police Scotland’s budget in cash terms until 2027 could reduce it to a “quasi-military force” only used for “the most serious incidents”.

In May, last year SNP finance secretary Kate Forbes announced a “flat-cash settlement” for the justice sector from 2023/24 to 2026/27, which independent Scottish Parliament analysts have said amounts to a real-terms cut of 7.8 per cent across the portfolio.

This included courts, prosecutors, legal aid, prisons, the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service and the Scottish Police Authority, the body which funds Police Scotland. However rising inflation and cuts in next month’s UK budget would make the squeeze worse.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs Angela Constance said: “Policing is and will continue to be a priority for this government.

“Operational matters and staffing priorities are always rightly for the Chief Constable.

“Scotland has more police officers per capita than England and Wales and our officers have significantly higher pay ranges with a starting salary for a constable in Scotland around £5,000 more than in England and Wales. Recorded crime is also at one of the lowest levels seen since 1974, down 42% since 2006-07.

“Despite UK Government austerity, and in recognition of the crucial role Police Scotland officers and staff play keeping our communities safe, the service will receive additional resource funding of £80 million in 2023-24, a 6.3% increase compared to 2022-23.”

An SPA spokesman said: “The Authority considered and approved the policing budget for 2023/24 in March. Members explored the risks and implications of the budget on the policing service and our workforce.

"The Authority received assurance that the policing response would be prioritised to the most vulnerable individuals and communities where the greatest threats and harms exist. The Authority was satisfied that Scotland could be effectively and efficiently policed in the year ahead.”