CONCERNS have been raised over the falling number of police officers in Ayrshire.
Police officer numbers across Scotland as a whole have now dropped to their lowest point since early 2009.
In the Ayrshire policing division, since Police Scotland was formed in 2013, the number of officers has dropped by 46, from 862 to 816.
It has been an issue felt across the board with all but one of the nation’s local policing divisions having seen the number of officers at their disposal fall, meaning less physical presence on our streets.
Jamie Greene MSP, the Conservatives’ shadow justice secretary at Holyrood, said: “Our local police work tirelessly day and night to keep the public safe, yet they are not being properly resourced by this SNP Government.
“I’m calling on the Scottish Government to urgently reverse the cuts to police budgets so that the number of officers patrolling our streets can be restored.
“I would also like to thank the police themselves for all they do day in, day out fighting crime and keeping local residents safe.”
According to Police Scotland, while divisional resources mean only 816 officers work specifically in Ayrshire, the area also has access to additional resources whenever required.
This includes a further 1,425 officers who operate across the West of Scotland, and can provide specialist support such as major investigation teams and armed policing units to local policing divisions within the west command area.
A further 1,854 officer who work across Scotland can also provide additional support which includes specialist crime resources such as the national rape investigation unit and human trafficking unit and operational support resources such as the air support and mounted unit.
Despite the drop in local policing numbers since 2013, the last quarter has seen an increase in numbers in Ayrshire, gaining three extra officers between September and December of 2021.
However, the last year as a whole has still seen a drop in figures, with Ayrshire’s local policing unit dropping in numbers by 18.
If you’re interested in joining the police, visit scotland.police.uk/recruitment.
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