Police Support Staff Cut By 26%
Mark Griffin MSP has hit out at the SNP Government as newly obtained figures reveal that there has been a 26% cut in Strathclyde Police support staff since 2006.
Figures revealed by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill show that the number of police support staff in the Strathclyde Police Authority has dropped from a record high of 3,083 in 2006, to a record low of 2,269 in the fourth quarter of 2011 – a drop of 814.
Mr Griffin has expressed his concern that these cuts are leading to police officers being forced off the beat in order to complete back office jobs.
Mark said:
"These are worrying figures and this continual cut is impacting our communities here in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.
"Police support staff are crucial in providing a wide range of functions that are vital to modern day policing. The role of support staff allows police officers to concentrate on their frontline operational duties. The fact that 814 support staff jobs have been cut, and that those positions are now being filled by police officers, is deeply concerning.
"The Justice Secretary seems to be in denial about the figures that he revealed as well as the impact the cuts are having on the frontline. It is simply not good enough."
RSS