A full formal review of the arming of police officers has been called for by the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
The controversial policy has attracted criticism after the emergence of pictures of armed officers on routine patrols.
Willie Rennie has accused Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) of “stonewalling” calls by Highland Council for the policy to be scrapped in the area.
He said yesterday: “Highland Council’s united calls for the policy to be scrapped have been stonewalled until the next routine SPA risk meeting in September.
“That isn’t a good enough response to the pressing concerns of these communities. Scottish Liberal Democrats want the SPA to undertake an immediate and full formal review of Police Scotland’s policy on armed police.
“Pending the outcome of that review I know many wish to see an end to the deployment of armed officers on routine duties. Questions also remain about the need for those armed officers to carry sidearms if they are to continue attending routine duties.”
Highland councillor David Alston added: “The chief constable is claiming that it is purely an operational issue. But this is a fundamental change in the nature of policing.
“We back that call for the justice minister and for parliament to examine it. For a change of this nature it is something that needs to be debated publicly.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “Armed police officers have been a long-standing feature of policing in Scotland and it is for the Chief Constable to make operational decisions about where and when to deploy resources.
“Police Scotland has emphasised that it regularly reviews the use of standing firearms authority.
“In the first year of Police Scotland, specialist firearms units attended more than 1,300 incidents across the whole of Scotland – including more than 100 in the Highlands.
“The approach taken by Police Scotland is an operational decision which allows officers to be deployed quickly in the event of any emergencies.”
More than 98% of police are unarmed and the remaining 275 officers, from a 17,244-strong workforce, are spread across the whole of Scotland, according to the Scottish Government.
The SPA said: “As the national oversight body for policing in Scotland, the SPA has made clear that there is a need for ongoing information, transparency and reassurance on this issue.
“The SPA will keep the issue under review – particularly around the areas of risk, health and safety, and complaints.”
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “The chief constable’s role requires him to make these decisions free from political interference in order to take all appropriate measures to keep people safe.”