SNP blasted for new police station closures after £2 BILLION slashed from budget in a decade

Deputy Chief Constable, Malcolm Graham, has defended the closures, saying affected buildings “no longer meet the requirements of local communities”.

He said: “Our estate needs to be fit for 21st century policing, putting service enhancement, visibility, and engagement at the heart of the communities we serve.”

Police Scotland was formed in April 2013, through the merger of eight regional jurisdictions and DCC Graham has suggested the shuttering of so many stations and offices is to allow for Police Scotland to modernise the combined estate.

The decision has been met with vocal opposition, not least from David Kennedy, Scottish Police Federation General Secretary, who has described the news as “devastating”.

He has pointed to the £2billion reportedly wiped from Police Scotland budgets over the last decade under the Scottish National Party.

The SNP had committed to a target of frontline 17,234 Police for more than 15 years, but it has failed to meet the quota since mid 2021.

The latest figures from Police Scotland suggest only 16,641 frontline police are on active duty.

Earlier this month, Police Scotland opened up a voluntary redundancy scheme to civilian staff and in November, Chief Constable Jo Farrell sought an extra £128 million to sustain frontline policing for the next financial year.

When taken together, the string of recent events points to Police Scotland being on the ropes.

Scottish Labour’s Justice Spokesperson, Pauline McNeill, described news of the closures as “yet another hammer-blow to Police Scotland’s resources due to chronic underfunding by the SNP government”.

She said: “With offices closing and jobs on the line, the need for action to protect police services could not be greater.

“Police visibility in our communities is vital in tackling crime as well as preventing crime and making people feel safe - we can’t allow cuts to undermine confidence in services.

“Action needs to be taken now to prevent further cuts to jobs and services and to help Scotland's police keep Scots safe."

Shadow Justice Minister, Russell Findlay, has highlighted a consistent pattern of police station closures.

In a statement issued by the Scottish Conservatives, he said: “The SNP government has presided over the closure of 140 police buildings in the first decade of Police Scotland.

“The announcement that 59 more might be forced to shut down will devastate over-stretched officers and put communities at even greater risk.

“The people of Scotland will know that this hammer-blow to policing is a direct result of decisions made by Humza Yousaf’s government.”

Further to the 29 police stations facing imminent closure, a number of offices will be shuttered and vacant lots will be sold off to bridge the gap in the police budget.

Consultation has begun on closing another 16 Police Scotland properties and plans are already underway for a further 14.

Under the proposals, officers and staff employed at affected properties across Scotland would be redeployed to alternative locations in the area.

Police Scotland has committed to consult and engage with the public on its proposals to close stations and offices before any final decisions are made.

News of the closures comes at a time when Scottish crime is at an all time low for this period, just 528 crimes per 10,000 population.

This is almost half of the crimes committed in 2004/05, when 1,007 per 10,000 population was recorded.

The successful lowering of the crime rate has been widely attributed to a community policing strategy.

Police Scotland says it remains committed to investing resources where they’re needed, but communities built around shuttering stations require additional reassurances that low crime figures can be maintained.