‘Hard choices’ on police spending, says Constance amid call for more investment

Justice Secretary Angela Constance has told senior officers that “there are no quick fixes, only hard choices”, amid a call for more investment in the police service.

In a speech at the annual conference of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPS) on Wednesday, the Justice Secretary acknowledged the “enormity” of the challenges facing the force at a time of “evolving threats and uncertainties”.

However, she said the “reality” was that like the rest of the public sector, policing had to operate within a “tight fiscal environment” and that the government was investing “what (it) can”.

Her words came after a speech by ASPS president Rob Hay in which he warned of a “risk to public safety” if the force does not get the “investment it needs”.

Ms Constance said: “In recent years we have seen some of the toughest financial contexts that we’ve faced since devolution, with the financial crash, austerity, the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, and we know that there are no quick fixes, that there are only hard choices.”

The challenge now, she said, was around how Police Scotland adapted to this “new reality”, and maintained “excellence” and “resilience” while living within its means.

Both the Justice Secretary and Chief Constable Jo Farrell, who also spoke at the event, set out a “new model” of policing that they said would free up officers’ time so they could prioritise frontline work, while also improving their wellbeing.

Among the measures described, Ms Constance said the introduction of body-worn cameras had been a “game-changer” in reducing pressure on officers, and that a pilot summary case management project had seen 11,000 fewer officers called to give evidence in court.

In his address the ASPS president had described policing in Scotland as being at a “critical juncture”, and asked that the Chief Constable not be forced to make the “stark choice” between cutting pay or cutting police numbers.

He welcomed the changes and initiatives being introduced to help the force work “smarter, not harder”, but said achieving them required a “commensurate investment”.

“87% of our budget is on people,” he said.

“So making sure that the police officers are appropriately paid and compensated for the risks and limitations on their lifestyles as a result of the office they hold is absolutely key to making sure we’ve got a sustainable service, that we get really good people into policing – not just for now, but for next generation as well.”

He said the force was calling for a pay rise “similar” to the 8% awarded last week to NHS workers in Scotland.

“I understand we’re in a really challenging fiscal environment, but it’s clear where the political will exists, the money can be found,” he added.

He also warned of an impending recruitment crisis, pointing out that “around a quarter” of officers can retire in the next five years, and that Police Scotland was “competing for a share of a shrinking working-age population in Scotland”.

He went on: “If we’re to attract candidates who meet the exacting standards of professional behaviour that we expect, to have the resilience to withstand the violence and trauma a career in policing exposes you to, and who can endure the constant scrutiny, second guessing, criticism and commentary levelled against them, there needs to be a career-long offer that recognises all the officers endure.

“That’s in everyone’s interest.”

Mr Hay said there had been an “alarming” rise in officers suffering from “mental health challenges” in recent years, adding that Police Scotland had seen an 85% increase in sickness absence for “psychological illness and injury” over the last four years.

He explained this needed “more than just laminated words on notice boards”, and called for “the tools and the support to ensure we are creating a positive working environment that lets people deliver their absolute best”.

He also said that police officers were being assaulted at a rate of “around 20 a day”, and called for those convicted of assaulting an officer to be barred from the prisoner early release scheme.