Police Scotland chief will have to ‘cannibalise' force to deliver fair pay

Telegraph

20-05-2025

Police chiefs will have to 'cannibalise' Scotland's force to ensure the rank-and-file are paid fairly, according to a senior officer.
Rob Hay, president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPS) will tell the body's conference on Wednesday that the force's budget has failed to keep pace with inflation or demands on the service.
Mr Hay will point to 2013, when Police Scotland was created, and claim that 'almost every pay point, at every rank, is worth less now in real terms'. Meanwhile, he will argue, pay growth for professions in the public sector has outstripped policing by 13 per cent 'and even higher in some cases'.
Jo Farrell, Chief Constable of Police Scotland, and Angela Constance, the Scottish Justice Secretary, are among those due to attend the ASPS annual conference in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire.
'The chief constable has spoken about the dilemma she faces in this year's pay negotiation,' Mr Hay will say.
'Without assistance from the Scottish Government, the chief faces the stark choice of cannibalising the service to afford to offer a pay rise that is above inflation.
'Simply put: reduce police numbers or reduce pay. This is a choice no chief constable should have to make.'
Liam Kerr MSP, the Scottish Conservative's shadow justice secretary, said: 'This damning warning from senior police officers exposes the SNP 's systemic failure to properly support the force.
'It is shameful that it has reached a stage where cannibalising police services is now being openly talked about just so there is any possibility of rewarding dedicated officers.
'Savage cuts'
' The SNP's savage and sustained cuts to the police budget mean officers can no longer investigate every crime and our communities feel less safe.
'Instead of robbing Peter to pay Paul, SNP ministers must act on these concerns urgently. They cannot continue to treat them with contempt if they are serious about protecting the public and recruiting and retaining officers.'
The conference will be told that an 'alarming' number of police officers in Scotland are battling mental health issues owing to increasing workloads and scrutiny.
The ASPS argues that since 2013 the number of officers at superintendent and chief superintendent rank has reduced by a third.
Police Scotland has seen an 85 per cent increase in sickness absence for psychological illness and injury since 2021.
Mr Hay will call for technology to keep track of rest, such as introducing an app to record duty hours.
He will argue that superintendents must be given 'the time, the tools and the support to ensure we are creating a positive working environment that lets people deliver their absolute best'.
'Technology could help in this space; it could tell line managers when compensatory rest is due, when rest day banks start to exceed limits and, at workforce planning level, give an indication as to how far away resourcing is from actually having enough people to do the work.'
A recent ASPS survey found 27 per cent of respondents think the demand in their role is manageable and 31 per cent believe that Police Scotland's executive actively supports them in their role.
The survey also found 66.7 per cent of respondents believed there was an increased frequency of on-call hours, and no respondents thought the current compensation for being on standby for work was fair.
Mr Hay will say: 'Given the over-reliance on on-call to provide essential functions, and the uncomfortable reality that it is a voluntary duty, not covered by the Police Regulations, this is a clear message and a challenge to the police service and Government.
'Colleagues have already spoken to me of superintendents voting with their feet and deselecting themselves from on-call duties.'