The Police Officer Quarterly Strength Statistics show that:

• As of 31 December 2023, there were 16,363 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers. This is the lowest number of officers since the second quarter of 2008.
• Officer numbers dropped by 250 (1.5 per cent) in the three months from September 2023.

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 said: “The SNP have locked policing budgets in a chokehold for years, causing officer numbers to plummet to a record low and putting communities at greater risk.

“Officers feel unsupported, overwhelmed and stretched dangerously thin. These pressures simply heighten the possibility of an exodus of experienced and skilled people from the service.

“With policing bodies now warning of a public safety crisis, it’s time for the Scottish government 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.”