Scottish Lib Dems will boost support for officers to deal with mental health incidents

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur has today said that a key manifesto pledge from his party is to recruit more mental health specialists who can work alongside police officers and help them attend mental health incidents. 

Figures show that Police Scotland officers are now attending 14,500 mental health incidents a month. The organisation says that demand remains “way beyond where policing should be.” 

Scottish Liberal Democrats are now making it a manifesto pledge to roll out more mental health specialists to work alongside police officers, helping them attend incidents. 

The party are also pledging to save police officers time by cutting back their involvement in issuing court citations, improving trial scheduling and through giving their evidence remotely. 

Scottish Liberal Democrats previously revealed that more than 500,000 police officers and staff days have been lost to mental health absences since 2019. 

Between 2021/22, there has been an 82% increase in the number of working days lost to mental health absences among offices, and a 41% increase among police staff. 

Mr McArthur said:

“The increasingly intense demand on police officers is taking its toll. Officers are overwhelmed because the right level of support simply isn’t in place; we need to change that.

“Since the SNP centralised policing in Scotland, officer numbers have steadily fallen and are now almost the lowest they’ve ever been. 

“Scottish Liberal Democrats know that community safety begins with looking after the people who hold Scottish policing together. 

“That’s why we are making it a manifesto pledge to give officers a massive support boost and help them get back on track. 

“It’s a win-win strategy that will help end the current vicious cycle of talented officers feeling overstretched and heading for the door. 

“If you like the sound of what we’re offering, you can back our vision for change with fairness at its heart on the ballot paper in May.”