In 2013 the creation of Police Scotland was the biggest reform in Scotland’s public sector, and was supposed to save nearly £2 billion over 10 years, by reducing headquarters bureaucracy, and delivering more autonomy to the front line.
However, the current figures show a drop of nearly 1,000 officers and crime again on the rise.
The Scottish Government should be investing in, and recruiting and training, more officers, but there appears to have been a continual crisis with Police Scotland, with the funding gap estimated in 2017 to be circa £200 million by 2020-21.
According to reports, the government say they have invested £10bn in Police Scotland, so where are all the savings?
To me there seems to be a lack of progress in managing the books since the SNP came to power and there should be more transparency on how the policing budget is spent.
JH.
Final nail for independence
If Nicola Sturgeon sells out to the Greens to save her minority SNP government and bans any new oil/gas developments then it will become the final nail in the independence coffin.
The Scottish oil workers and families will see their future ended by such a sell-out by the SNP to the Greens and will never forgive the SNP Party for such a treacherous political move…
D. F. Grattan.
‘999’ blame
Having to wait an excessive amount of time for an ambulance must be absolutely awful, but I don’t think the blame can be laid on the Scottish Ambulance Service or indeed the ambulance service nationally.
The blame can and should be put firmly at the feet of the government for the years and years of cutbacks.
It’s been clear for years there is neither enough staff or ambulances to meet the demands of the British public.
Cat McG, Bridge of Don.
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