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SNP urged to boost police numbers | |
(about 8 hours later) | |
Scotland's police officers have called on the government to immediately deliver on its plan to boost numbers. | |
The Scottish Police Federation also said a wider look at the role of policing was needed. | |
But it played down suggestions from the newly-formed Scottish Police Service Authority that a wider role could be given to civilian staff. | |
The federation's comments came amid an inquiry being carried out on the issue by Holyrood's justice committee. | |
The organisation's general secretary, Joe Grant, pressed the need to deliver the Scottish Government's pledge of 1,000 more police officers - which ministers have said would be made "available" through recruitment, retention and redeployment - while calling for a wider look at the role of the force. | |
The public do like to see police officers on the beat where they get the benefit Alasdair GilliesScottish Police Federation | |
"My point is that we absolutely need 1,000 additional officers right now to allow us to undertake that review," he told MSPs. | |
Mr Grant said the future need not see a return to the Dixon of Dock Green days in the 1960s when police officers "roamed about aimlessly", adding: "We're talking about structured patrolling." | |
The comments were echoed by Alasdair Gillies, secretary of the federation's inspectors' central committee. | |
"If you speak to the public and ask them what they want, they want capacity," he said. | |
'Poor' service | |
"So that when they open their curtains and walk down the high street, they see a visible police presence. | |
"It actually does work and the public do like to see police officers on the beat where they get the benefit." | |
David Mulhern, chief executive of the Scottish Police Service Authority, said an expanded role for civilians could include taking statements from witnesses. | |
But Mr Grant said civilian numbers had gone up by 60% over the past decade, adding: "The reality is that, overwhelmingly, jobs that can be done by support staff are being done at the moment." | |
A recent survey carried out by the Scottish Police Federation, which represents the vast majority of police officers in Scotland, suggested that 82% of those who replied felt there were too few or far too few officers in their area. | |
Almost 40% felt the police provided an "average" service to the public, while 34.4% thought they provided a "poor" or "very poor" service, it also claimed. |