Police Scotland officer numbers hit 14-year low

Police officer numbers in Scotland have fallen to their lowest level in 14 years, according to government figures.

The police officer strength figures, published each quarter, revealed the force had 16,805 full-time equivalent police officers on 31 March.

The number of officers fell by 312 during the first three months of 2022, reaching the lowest level since 2008.

A Scottish government spokesperson said it was "normal" for officer numbers to fluctuate.

The figures were published as 1919, a magazine focused on the justice sector, reported that police officer retiral rates were 70% higher than normal due to new pension arrangements.

Police Scotland told the magazine that retirement rates and the extra pressures caused by the Covid pandemic had created a "significant challenge".

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone later said: "We took necessary measures to maintain effective policing and safeguard officers and staff in response to the pandemic and the policing of COP26.The consequences of these significant events meant there was a longer period between recruitment intakes than previously anticipated.

"Additionally, the implications of the McCloud Remedy and other pension issues mean some officers are choosing to retire slightly earlier than would normally be the case.

"We have increased our recruitment to return to our full budgeted officer establishment as quickly as possible and last month I welcomed 297 probationary constables into the service. As a single national service, we are identifying resources to provide support and stability to frontline policing."

Police officer numbers have remained relatively stable over the last few years, but have now fallen over the previous three quarters.

Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Greene said the drop in numbers represented a "consistent neglect" of the police service by the Scottish government.

"We already know that local authorities have been forced to cut officer numbers due to SNP funding cuts, while the SNP's centralisation of the police has meant patrols are less noticeable since the forces were merged," he said.

A Scottish government spokesperson said: "Police officer numbers in Scotland remain significantly up from 2007, and are favourable relative to elsewhere in the UK with around 32 officers per 10,000 population in Scotland compared to around only 23 officers per 10,000 population in England and Wales.

"It is normal for officer numbers to fluctuate and the current figures continue to be affected by the coronavirus pandemic and use of the Police Scotland training college as a base for UK officers during COP26, which impacted the ability to recruit."

The spokesperson added that Police Scotland had recruited about 300 new officers April, with plans to recruit a similar number of probationers each quarter throughout the rest of the year.