Policing our communities
Police Scotland has outlined urgent action to maintain effective policing within the funding available to the organisation.
Policing’s funding allocation for 2023-24 represents a real terms reduction, meaning more than £50m of savings are required to ensure a balanced budget.
Police Scotland has been clear hard choices are necessary and we have been required to reduce our budgeted officer establishment from 17,234 to 16,600.
Deputy Chief Constable Designate Fiona Taylor QPM provided an overview of work to prioritise resources to keep people safe and protect the vulnerable and was clear our service to the public will be impacted.
DCCD Taylor said: “Our financial planning in March made it clear that our funding allocation for 2023-24 represents a real terms reduction, meaning we have been required to reduce the number of police officers we have from 17,234 to around 16,600.
“Of necessity, we will reduce police staff costs in proportion to the reduction in officer numbers and reduce overtime spending.
“Hard choices are being taken now to maintain effective policing within the funding available to us. Action is being taken to achieve savings and deliver a balanced budget for 2023-24. Areas which encounter the greatest demand and which carry the greatest risk are being prioritised to ensure we continue to effectively reduce harm and protect the vulnerable.
“As part of this urgent action we have paused police staff recruitment other than for reform or externally funded posts; for roles based in our Contact, Command and Control (C3) Division or Resource Deployment Unit; for Police Custody and Security Officers; and for Public Enquiry and Support Assistants.
“Recruitment of Probationary Constables will continue and our commitment to no compulsory redundancies for police staff remains."
DCCD Taylor also said funding challenges underlined the need to accelerate changes which made savings or supported operational policing, including the successful transformation of the police estate.
DCC Taylor said: “This work will shape our Service and define core policing. It seeks to reduce demand and increase capacity, and accelerate those changes which save money and provide benefits to operational policing. This includes the ongoing transformation of our estate. We will also review support services and our command structures.
“Consequently, some of the things that we do may need to be done differently or take us longer. The level of service we provide in some areas will reduce.”
Police Scotland returns more than £200m to the public purse every year compared to legacy arrangements.
The Scottish Government’s budget for 2023/24 confirmed an £80m core funding uplift for policing, with £37m required to fund the ongoing cost of the 2022-23 pay award, leaving £43m to fund unavoidable pay and other inflationary costs for the current financial year.
