New statistics show the number of police officers across the Borders and Lothian has fallen dramatically in just a few years.
Figures published by the justice and social affairs publication, 1919 Magazine, revealed the reduction in police officers by division across Scotland.
In the Lothian and Borders division, there are 51 fewer officers in the area than there were three years ago, which is a 5.4 per cent reduction since March 2020.
Frontline officers do a fantastic job of keeping us safe, preventing crime and arresting offenders.
But officers are telling me that they no longer have the resources to do their jobs to the best of their ability.
SNP cuts have left police officers in the Borders and across Scotland struggling to cope. Humza Yousaf must increase funding for the frontline in the upcoming Scottish Budget.
Commenting on the national figures, David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said: “Community officers go to events, get to know children, the parents, and they get to know the criminals. This all makes a positive difference, but when you take it away the barriers come up and rather than policing by consent, it becomes a force rather than a service. We’re not a pro-active service anymore, it’s just reactive, and that makes a difference in the longer term.”
