Douglas Ross has said it is “open season for criminals under the SNP” after Humza Yousaf refused to provide more funding so that police officers have the resources to do their jobs.
At First Minister’s Questions, the Scottish Conservative leader raised a pilot in the North East of Scotland where frontline officers are being told to no longer investigate some crimes.
He said the “unfair” plans treated people in the North East as “guinea pigs”.
Scottish Police Federation chair David Threadgold has said areas could be at increased risk as criminals target places where they know crime won’t be investigated.
The Scottish Conservative leader said the “rash experiment” was a consequence of SNP funding cuts.
Deputy Chief Constable designate Fiona Taylor recently told the Scottish Police Authority that current funding “represents a real terms reduction and does not allow policing in Scotland to maintain our workforce at the levels of previous years”.
She said the force is facing “hard choices” and “the levels of service we provide to the public…will inevitably reduce”.
On Thursday, Audrey Nicoll, an SNP MSP and the convener of the Scottish Parliament Justice Committee, also raised objections about the plans in a letter to local police chiefs.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “SNP funding cuts are forcing dedicated officers to ignore criminal acts.
“Some victims will call the police – only to be told the crime is not important enough to investigate.
“This crime experiment is unfairly treating communities in the North East as guinea pigs. They’ll receive poorer service, despite paying their taxes like everybody else.
“I doubt Humza Yousaf would let this rash experiment happen in Glasgow – but he seems content to let victims in the North East go without justice.
“Officers warn this sets a ‘dangerous precedent’ and could be a slippery slope, unless Humza Yousaf steps in with more funding. But the SNP leader seems willing to let this happen across Scotland.
“The consequence of SNP funding cuts is that officers don’t have the resources to do their jobs and people who report crimes will be told, ‘tough luck’.
“It is open season for criminals under the SNP.
“Humza Yousaf is telling offenders they can break the law and get away with it.”
Notes
The Deputy Chief Constable of Police Scotland confirmed that this year’s funding settlement from the SNP Government represents a real-terms cut. Deputy Chief Constable designate Fiona Taylor confirmed in a report for the Scottish Police Authority: ‘The funding allocation provided by the Scottish Government represents a real terms reduction and does not allow policing in Scotland to maintain our workforce at the levels of previous years and at the same time make a fair pay award in 2023-24.’ (Deputy Chief Constable Designate Report, 24 August 2023, link).