Board papers reveal Police Scotland expect to reduce service levels as a result of Scottish Government cuts

Responding to today’s Scottish Police Authority meeting and board papers which warn that the funding allocation provided by the Scottish Government will mean reducing the police workforce, a recruitment pause and reducing levels of service provided to the public, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said:  

“This is very real evidence that Police Scotland is having to make plans to do less going forward as a result of the Scottish Government’s budget decisions.  

“As well as the additional stress and burden this will place on officers, the public will not forgive the government if this means fewer crimes are responded to.  

“The police service is between a rock and a hard place. They are being forced to make terrible choices because the Scottish Government have expected them to do so much with so little for so long.  

“The Scottish Government must support the police service. That means resourcing the service properly and placing the welfare and voices of officers and communities at the centre of decisions about the future.”