Senior police official warns against further cuts in wake of Paris attacks

A senior police officers’ representative has warned that the Scottish government would be foolish to continue police cuts following the terrorist attacks in Paris.

Police Scotland faces a £25 million shortfall this year while the SNP administration demands it save £1.1 billion.

Calum Steele, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, said that the government must take account of the additional pressures placed on the single force by the threat of terrorism.

However, the government has maintained officer numbers and invested £73 million in the Gartcosh crime campus as compared with 15,000 officer cuts in England and Wales.

Mr Steele said: “When Police Scotland was created, the expectation to save £1.1 billion in its first ten years was placed upon it. That was set against a normal policing background.

“Since then the terror threat and the threat level nationally has increased to its highest level, and that has resulted in additional pressures to the budget.

“The first duty of government is to protect its citizens, and that cannot be done if it cuts investment in policing.”

He added: “Clearly, events in Paris have caused police services to reassess their capabilities all over the world.

“It would be foolish for any government to expect policing to continue to cut at this time of heightened threat.”

The single force is prevented from reducing officer numbers below 17,234, which is 1,000 more than the SNP inherited.

Following HM Inspectorate of Constabulary’s report on the M9 deaths, plans to make staff redundant were put on hold.

In addition unsold police buildings remain a drain on resources.

A Scottish government spokeswoman said: “This government has delivered 1,000 additional officers since 2007, in stark contrast to the situation in England and Wales, where police numbers are expected to fall by around 15,000 over the UK government’s comprehensive spending review period.”