New chief constable urged to rule out police cuts

A call has been made for Scotland’s new nation-wide police chief to guarantee Shetland’s policing numbers.

Isles MSP Tavish Scott has called on Police Scotland’s chief constable, Stephen House, to offer assurances Shetland will not lose out when it comes to staffing levels.

His calls follow news Grampian Police could lose out once the centralised force is introduced in the new financial year. They came as Mr House was due to visit police officers in Shetland ahead of the change on 1st April.

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“There is only one question the chief constable must answer. Will he guarantee that Shetland will keep the same number of police officers and stations that Shetland had as part of the Northern Constabulary?

“Ministers have constantly stated that there will be no cuts to police officer numbers.

“Yet recently in an interview, Stephen House said Grampian could lose staff and stations as a result of the national police force.

“That is the opposite of the spin we got from Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill when he was in Shetland.

“A centralised national police force is a terrible policy, yet the SNP with Labour support have forced it through Parliament. The chief constable is in Shetland today to pass on the inevitable news that the islands will see their police cover cut.”