McArthur raises concerns over Police Scotland staffing mix

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur 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 for 31 December 2025 published today are as follows:

• there were 16,416 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Scotland on 31 December 2025

• police officer numbers decreased by 25 FTE officers (-0.1%) in the last quarter from 30 September 2025

• police officer numbers decreased by 91 FTE officers (-0.6%) in the last year from 31 December 2024

Mr McArthur said:

“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.

"Officers are spending more time tackling online fraud and on complex mental health cases. The service must ensure that it has the right mix of staff to address these challenges.

"Policing bodies have repeatedly warned of a public safety crisis. The Justice Seretary needs to come forward with a realistic plan to ensure the needs of the service are met."