Police Scotland budget deficit woes continue

Police Scotland may need to cut officer numbers as well as civilian staff to balance its budget after it emerged earlier this year that there is a £21 million hole in the budget.

According to the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), the revenue budget, which accounts for wages, is forecast to overrun by £21.2m in 2016/17. This will be partially mitigated by an infrastructure under-spend of £11.6m.

The news comes after the Scottish Police Federation (SPS) said its members have had to buy light bulbs and hand sanitiser themselves as a result of budget tightening by the single force.

Calum Steele, the SPF’s general secretary, said: “It is not clear how much confidence is allied to the budget deficit but it is obvious to anyone who cares to look that what we are experiencing so far is but the tip of a very large iceberg.

“Whilst it is easy to concentrate on the finances, we have to look beyond the numbers and see what that means in reality; in our communities and for the victims of crime.

“The service is already enduring death by a thousand cuts and it is clear that the quality of police service being delivered to Scotland’s communities is suffering as a consequence.”

The Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesman, Liam McArthur, said: “These papers suggest that officers and staff could soon be in the firing line unless the Scottish government admits its savings targets are impossible.

“Barely a day goes by without reports of the harm caused by the SNP’s centralisation of the police, from officers paying for cleaning products out of their own pocket to the loss of valuable services such as local control rooms. The national force is being squeezed until the pips squeak.”

Labour’s justice spokeswoman, Claire Baker, added: “Before the election the SNP promised to protect the police budget … the accounts show that to be nothing more than a pre-election soundbite.

“Police officers and staff work hard every single day to keep people safe but they are being let down by a government who won’t give them the resources they need.”