Grim blue line! Now hundreds of police stations are in desperate need of repairs
Hundreds of Scottish police stations need upgrades, new figures show, sparking concerns about public safety.
Statistics obtained by the Scottish Conservatives show that 333 stations require repairs, which critics say is a result of the SNP 's 'sustained neglect' of services.
Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: 'These staggering figures highlight Scotland's depleted and crumbling police estate under the SNP.
'No wonder police morale is so poor, when officer numbers are at a record low and those who remain are often being made to work out of decrepit stations.
Despite almost 100 stations being sold in recent years, the funds still aren't there to carry out necessary repairs to those that remain.'
He added: 'It's unfair, unsustainable and undermines community policing. This is further evidence of the SNP's sustained neglect of policing and public safety.'
Last month, the chair of the Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, warned Ministers of 'policing deserts' in some areas.
David Threadgold said station closures and stress on serving officers had left 'an almost invisible policing presence, providing an utterly reactive service'.
In 2023 it emerged a number of police stations in Scotland had been built with collapse-prone concrete.
The cost of removing it from Police Scotland's Fettes building, in Edinburgh, was estimated at a massive £4million.
A total of 140 police stations and almost 100 police counters closed between 2013 and 2023.
Meanwhile, recorded crime rose by four per cent between December 2022 and December 2024.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Sutherland said: 'Police Scotland inherited a very large and ageing estate, a substantial proportion of which was no longer fit for purpose or in the right place to best serve our communities.
'No decisions are taken lightly or without consultation, however we can't afford to maintain our estate in its current size or condition.
'We are increasingly sharing locations with other agencies to give our communities the service they need and deserve and to provide better accommodation for officers and staff.
'We have 64 co-locations, representing around a fifth of our estate, with more planned in the coming years and such joint working can deliver more effective service at better value to the public.
'At the same time, we have enabled our officers to spend more time in communities through the roll-out of mobile devices.'
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said that decisions on police stations are operational matters for the Chief Constable.
She added: 'We have more than tripled the policing capital budget since 2017-18 and we are investing a record £1.64 billion for policing this year. This includes £70 million to invest in resources and estates.
'Police Scotland continues to dispose of properties no longer fit for purpose or required, while reinvesting in purpose-built properties to deliver modern premises.'
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