McArthur responds to SPF warning on police cuts

Responding to the embargoed 1919 Magazine story in which David Kennedy, General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, warns that "any notion that policing will remain the same and will remain as safe as it has been is just not going to happen,” and that reducing the number of officers dealing with emergency calls could result in another incident like the M9 tragedy, Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said:  

“These comments lay bare the heavy toll on our police service of repeated budget crises. Government neglect has resulted in a loss of skill and experience, while leaving the service stretched dangerously thin.  

“When the SNP’s botched centralisation of policing didn’t deliver the savings promised, backroom staff were laid off with officers brought in to cover these roles. That was never a sustainable model.  

“Scottish Liberal Democrats want to see Police Scotland properly funded and resourced; that starts by placing the welfare of both officers and communities at the centre of decisions about the future."