Unison calls for action over predicted police job losses
UNISON Scotland, the main union representing support staff in Northern Constabulary, has called for action by the Scottish Government to avert the disastrous loss of 3,000 police staff support jobs across Scotland, of which new Chief Constable Stephen House has warned.
Frank Winston, Lead UNISON Steward within Northern Constabulary said “UNISON has been saying that up to 3,000 vital police support staff jobs are under threat for about a year now. If Stephen House is right in what he is saying, this is just the beginning of a disaster for Scottish policing in the Highlands.
“The whole ethos of Northern Constabulary is about community policing. It is difficult to see how this can be maintained if officers have to become backroom Bobbies.
"The geography of the Highlands makes it all the more important for Police Officers to be out in the communities doing what they are trained to do, whilst our members continue to provide vital support roles."
He added: "The significant cuts to support staff already mean that Northern Constabulary is working to a bare minimum. The proposed cuts will therefore only result in a significant reduction in community policing.
“It is ironic that at a time when the Scottish Government is celebrating a 37 year low in crime rates that they are putting the mechanism in place to undo the excellent work achieved by the combined efforts of police and support staff.”
Gerry Crawley, UNISON’s lead officer for police in Scotland, said: “It gives us no pleasure to find that the newly-appointed Chief Constable of the new Police Service of Scotland can do the same sums as we can.
“The problem is the Scottish Government’s arbitrary target to maintain police officer numbers at 17,234. This combined with their failure to fund a balanced police service means that massive cuts will fall on police support staff - whose skills and qualifications are vital to effective policing across Scotland.
“We need a balanced workforce where the skills of police staffs enable police officers to do the job the public wants them to do, where they want them to do it. That is fighting crime, out on the streets. Using officers as expensive replacements for police staff might meet the Scottish Government’s political target - but not the needs of Scotland’s communities.”
