By Alan Roden and Laura Paterson
Scotland needs more than 800 new officers as the force battles rising crime and a mental health crisis, MSPs have been told.
Rank-and-file leaders have warned that Police Scotland’s request for the money to deploy 172 additional cops is “nowhere near” what is needed, with the future of policing facing a pivotal moment in the weeks ahead.
The stark difference in the demands from the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) and the Chief Constable comes as the Scottish Government finalises its 2027/28 budget, which will be unveiled in early December.
With public finances under increasing pressure, the spending plans will outline how much Police Scotland has to spend on both day-to-day resources and the wider police estate and technology.
As of June this year there were 16,402 officers in Scotland, although this includes nearly 3,000 on ‘modified duties’ with many not able to be deployed on the front line.
When first elected in 2007, the SNP pledged 1,000 extra officers, taking the total to 17,234 – a target met in 2011 that became a floor before being abandoned. Meanwhile, in the year to June, there was a seven per cent rise in recorded crime.
As MSPs on Holyrood’s criminal justice committee carry out their pre-budget scrutiny, the SPF has called for 832 additional officers from June’s position, which it said should be a “starting benchmark, not a ceiling”.
The force has asked for an extra £110.6 million next year – £78.8 million just to stand still, plus £31.8 million of targeted investment that would fund 520 roles – made up of 172 officers, 262 staff, and “continued funding of 86 officers and staff already in post”.
“We believe we need so much more”
SPF general secretary David Kennedy
Writing in this month’s edition of 1919, Chief Constable Jo Farrell said her commitment to officers is to “provide them with the team, the time, the kit and the leadership to deliver for Scotland”.
However, addressing the criminal justice committee, SPF general secretary David Kennedy said: “Scotland needs more police officers. And it’s not simply to maintain the numbers we currently have; it’s not to move officers from one department to another – it’s a genuine, sustained increase in the number of police officers available to protect our communities.”
He added: “When we account for sickness absence, annual leave, training, rest days, and other necessary abstractions, the number of officers actually available to respond to incidents is considerably lower than the headline figure suggests, and that is the reality facing Police Scotland at the moment. And it is the reality that must inform decisions about police funding.
“We believe that restoring officer numbers to at least the 17,234 should be our initial objective.
“Now I’m aware that the Police Service of Scotland have asked for nowhere near that amount… and we respect that. We believe we need so much more.
“We should be determining how many police officers Scotland needs based on operational demand, not simply how many we can afford within a predetermined budget.”
Kennedy argued that “violent crime has increased, sexual crime has increased, and the complexity of policing has changed dramatically”.
And he said one of the “greatest pressures” is ‘non-crime demand’ such as the mental health crisis.
In a written submission to the committee, Police Scotland identified similar challenges.
The force warned the 2027/28 budget “must fully fund £78.8 million of unavoidable pressures if our current financial level is to be sustained, while the additional £31.8 million of targeted investment is required to strengthen prevention, protect vulnerable people, respond to emerging threats and unlock further benefits across the justice system”.
It added: “A lower settlement would not reduce demand; it would reduce policing’s capacity to prevent harm, modernise services and respond effectively, increasing reliance on more costly intervention at the point of crisis.”
Writing exclusively in this month’s magazine, Farrell added: “The evidence outlines what is needed to meet pay assumptions and inflation.
“Ministers must listen to the SPF and ensure that Police Scotland has the funding and resources it needs”
Pauline McNeill MSP
“It also calls for support for more than 500 officer and staff posts, including in community policing, preventing violence against women and girls, and tackling counter state threats.”
The more modest asks come after she sought an extra £138.6 million last year and received nearly £50 million less.
There are fears that next year’s settlement could be even worse, given the state of the public finances.
Chancellor John Healey’s UK budget gives the Scottish Government an extra £206.9 million next year in cash terms, but political spin can interpret this in different ways.
The SNP claims it is a real-terms cut of around £550 million in day-to-day spending when inflation is taken into account, while the UK Labour government insists that Holyrood will get an extra £600 million over the coming years, on top of what it calls the largest spending review settlement since devolution.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Scotland’s police perform a vital role keeping communities safe. That is why we provided record funding of more than £1.7 billion for policing in 2026/27.
“We will continue to work with Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority to discuss their 2027/28 budget requirements as part of the normal Scottish budget process.”
But Scottish Labour’s justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill said: “There has been £18 billion more funding for the Scottish Government to spend since 2024 as a result of decisions taken by the UK Labour government.
“The SNP government have failed to properly back Police Scotland, despite years of warnings about increasing demands on hardworking officers.
“Ministers must listen to the SPF and ensure that Police Scotland has the funding and resources it needs to keep communities safe.”
