The Scottish government’s Police Officer Quarterly Strength Statistics, published today, show that:

• As of 31st March 2024, there were 16,356 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers. This is the lowest number of officers since the second quarter of 2008.
• Officer numbers dropped by 259 (1.5 per cent) in the past year.

In November, the Scottish Police Federation stated that the service had been “asset stripped and basically used as a cash cow”.

Justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said: “On the SNP’s watch, the thin blue line of Scottish policing has been stretched to breaking point. For years, SNP mismanagement has undermined community policing and laid the foundations for future crises.

“The officers themselves feel unsupported, overwhelmed and stretched dangerously thin. The ongoing pilot projects that are seeing certain crimes go un-investigated are proof positive that the force is having to do less with less.

“It’s time for the new first minister to listen. Ministers must finally commit to resourcing the service properly and place the welfare of officers and staff at the centre of decisions about the future.”