POLICE officer numbers in Scotland could fall below 16,000 next year without an increase in funding, the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) has said.
Police funding has been brought to the forefront in recent weeks following a call from Chief Constable Jo Farrell for £128 million more than last year.
In a letter to Deputy First Minister Shona Robison – who also serves as Scotland’s Finance Secretary – ahead of her Budget announcement next week, the SPF said officers are “policing with one arm tied behind our backs and our fingers crossed”.
The body, which represents rank-and-file officers, added: “We now work to an establishment figure of 16,600, but subject to an ongoing recruitment freeze, this figure will fall to below 16,000 by April 2024.
“With the threat of an extended recruitment freeze for the entire financial year of 2024-2025, who knows where this number may eventually fall to?”
Budget cuts and reductions in officer numbers, the SPF said, will lead to “communities being less safe”, an increase in crime and stress and mental health issues for officers.
The letter, signed by general secretary David Kennedy and chairman David Threadgold, said: “The fact is that the public are losing faith in and support for the police and this will continue until our ability to police with consent will be negatively impacted.
“This sorry situation is bound to get worse unless an immediate injection of funding is provided to the police.
“We note that the chief constable has sought £128m over flat cash and our view of this is that it is extremely conservative.
“Within that figure, £26.4m has been identified for capital, but we know that to bring our estate up to an acceptable standard will take anything up to £800m. This is the result of years of under-funding and we must begin to repair the damage.
“How can we ever hope to change the culture within our organisation or re-engage with our communities against a backdrop of training embargoes, hundreds of officers leaving the service and not being replaced due to recruitment freezes, and a continuous and relentless demand for our service?
“Without the correct investment, it is simply not possible.
“The communities in all areas of Scotland are suffering negative consequences of police under-funding.
“The service we are providing is stretched and, in many cases, simply not good enough.
“Our members are suffering too, from overwork, stress, sickness, disruption to what should be time off and from feelings of low value and respect.”
The letter follows an announcement from Police Scotland that 29 buildings – including police stations – are to be closed and sold off, with a consultation launched on the future of a further 15.
The SPF said this will mean more than 200 police offices and buildings have been closed since forces were merged to create Police Scotland in 2013, adding: “Public safety and security are at risk, and we can only hope and pray that we do not witness a disaster.”
Police Scotland and the Scottish Government have been asked for comment.
