Police on brink of civil war in row over implementing budget cuts

Published on Wednesday 21 July 2010 15:50

SCOTLAND'S police are facing further divisions after superintendents openly criticised their superiors over the way cuts are being planned.

The Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (Asps) warned members are unhappy after being excluded from talks about remodelling the service.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpos) has started a review of how to cope with budget cuts of up to 25 per cent over four years, including sharing some services and even the possibility of a single Scottish force.

However, those talks are yet to involve either the Scottish Police Federation, which represents constables, sergeants and inspectors, or Asps.

The association has been further incensed by the fact that Scotland's two biggest forces are considering compulsory redundancies for officers with 30 years' or more experience, a policy which would hit superintendents the hardest as it does not apply to higher ranked officers, namely chief constables, their deputies and assistants.

David O'Connor, the president of Asps, said: "We've been excluded, as have the federation. It's imperative that staff associations - and that's not just us - are involved. There are lots of people with very good ideas and they're not going to filter through if we don't communicate.

"We want to buy into the solution and it's all about communication. There's certainly concern among our members at the lack of involvement in the way that policing is changing rapidly at local and national levels.

"Discussions have to be had at every level because no-one can have a single view on this. There has to be a collective view and a collective response."

Police forces have already tried to plan for cuts by reducing the number of senior officers, so that it can limit the cuts to front-line community policing, which has been a key focus in recent years.

As a result, Asps has seen its membership fall by 15 per cent to 200 superintendents, detective superintendents and chief superintendents. They will be further hit if forces decide to make officers retire if they have 30 years' service or more.

Strathclyde and Lothian and Borders police forces have a combined 179 officers, of all ranks, with that level of service, some as young as 48.

Mr O'Connor said: "They're still quite young and [will be] looking for other employment, in the current market, with young families and mortgages - it's not so easy to walk away."

Assistant Chief Constable Cliff Anderson, the Acpos general-secretary, said: "The reviews which Acpos is carrying out will involve wide consultation and include the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, the Scottish Police Federation and staff associations as well as our communities, partner organisations, local authorities, police authorities and the Scottish Government.

"We value each of their contributions and together we will find the right solutions."

However, both Asps and the Scottish Police Federation believe they should have been consulted already.

Les Gray, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, said "It's disappointing that we've not been included. There have been no direct messages from Acpos on what they're going to do. We know there will be cut backs, and staff not getting replaced, but we have been given no facts or figures."