Labour MSP, Jackie Baillie, has called for increased funding for Police Scotland as analysis from Scottish Labour reveals that, of the 42 forces in the United Kingdom, Police Scotland is fifth from the bottom for capital investment.

Figures provided by the House of Commons library reveal that Police Scotland receives £1,526 of capital investment per employee, compared to £10,857 for the Metropolitan police. This is despite it being the second largest force in the UK behind the London Metropolitan Police.

If Police Scotland had received the UK average for funding it would get £77million – more than double the £34.1 million of capital investment it got in the last financial year (2018/19).

Jackie said:

“These figures show this SNP Government is giving Police Scotland a raw deal on funding and leaving them lagging behind similarly sized forces across the UK.

“You can’t keep people safe on the cheap, but when it comes to investing in our police force, the SNP Government’s promise to protect budgets is simply shallow spin.

“Police staff in ‘L’ Division and across Scotland are no doubt feeling the strain. They need the equipment and resources to do their jobs properly, and crucial investment to fight new generations of crime.

“This SNP Government must ensure that our police are properly resourced so that the public are safe.”