Chou Turvey: Police officer numbers on the decline

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Yi-pei Chou Turvey MSP has today said SNP ministers must ensure the right combination of officers and staff is in place as new figures show a fall in the number of full-time police officers.

The key points from the police officer quarterly strength stats published today are as follows:

• there were 16,402 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Scotland on 30 June 2026
• police officer numbers decreased by 29 FTE officers (-0.2%) in the last quarter from 31 March 2026
• police officer numbers decreased by 25 FTE officers (-0.2%) in the last year from 30 June 2025

Ms Chou Turvey said:

“For the public, the obvious concern will be that fewer officers will mean longer response times and less visible policing.

"But it is not simply the decline in headline officer numbers which raises big questions for the SNP. Cuts to support staff have left officers spending more time on paperwork and less time on the beat.

"This changes come at a time when officers are already spending more time tackling time-consuming cases such as online fraud and complex mental health cases. The service must ensure that it has the right mix of staff to address these challenges.

"The new Justice Secretary needs to come forward with a realistic plan to ensure the needs of the service are met."