True cost of bobbies on the beat

Published on Wednesday 28 January 2009 20:55

STRATHCLYDE Police is taking the radical step of cutting the number of its senior officers by 130, to release cash to put more bobbies on the beat. The fact that police forces are prepared to respond to public demands in this way is to be welcomed. However, police finances and police numbers are a law unto themselves, so we must be sure this plan will actually produce real benefits for the citizens of Strathclyde and not end up another game of smoke and mirrors played with the numbers.

The SNP pledged an extra 1,000 police officers by 2011. This was amended to an extra 1,000 officers on front-line duties – not necessarily 1,000 extra bodies. Strathclyde's quota of extra officers is 457, but, as we reveal in today's Scotsman, overall force numbers in Strathclyde will rise by only 281 by 2010. This places pressure on Strathclyde to find the remainder from redeployment. However, under orders from the Treasury, SNP ministers have also set police forces additional savings targets of 2 per cent this year, rising to 6 per cent in 2010-11. For Strathclyde, this means 48 million in savings over and above any changes required to redeploy officers from the back room to front-line duties. Ouch!

It would be good if Strathclyde Police is reducing bureaucracy and increasing manpower at the sharp end. Let us hope the force is not actually rearranging those proverbial deckchairs on the Titanic.