Scottish Government must get more cops on Scots streets after alarming figures
One out of every six police officers in Scotland are unable to carry out frontline tasks as they are off sick or operating on restricted duties.
We reveal today that more than 2000 are on reduced office based roles – up eight per cent in a year. And more than 500 are off on long-term sick.
This comes after Police Scotland numbers dropped to a record low last year.
Some officers are on restricted duties because of illness or injury – which has sometimes been suffered in the line of their duty. And many are off sick through stress due to a lack of downtime.
The increase in cops unable to be on the frontline puts our communities at greater risk. It means that we don't have enough officers stopping crime or responding to emergencies.
And it puts even more pressure on those still working on the frontline. This makes it harder to retain staff in a profession which is already struggling to find recruits.
David Kennedy from the Scottish Police Federation says morale is low among police officers and they are under an 'unbelievable' amount of strain.
It is unacceptable for some of our crucial public workers to be facing such conditions. We need to look after the people who put their lives on the line every day in order to keep us safe.
The Scottish Government must work hard to recruit more officers, get cops back into the frontline and keep the streets safe.
We cannot allow pubs to dry up
After the misery of Covid lockdown, Scotland's pubs and restaurants have struggled to recover.
Eating out now and again and going to your local with pals for a few drinks was a way of life for many.
But after lockdown these habits seem to have become a rarity – especially in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. That means our night-time economy has taken a real battering in recent years.
Now an industry report is reporting a 'brutal' downturn in trade. And it warns that one in six hospitality venues could close unless urgent action is taken to support them.
In England, pubs and restaurants have been given a discount in their rates to help them get through this crisis.
But here in Scotland there has been little in the way of help for this vital but struggling sector.
That needs to change or we could be facing a nationwide collapse of these vibrant community hubs.
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