Scotland's police officer numbers fall

credit - Flickr

The number of police officers in Scotland has fallen to its lowest level since the end of 2010, new figures showed.

Scotland had the equivalent of 17,242 full-time police officers in Scotland between April and June.

This represented the lowest number of officers since the last quarter of 2010 when there were 17,217.

RELATED CONTENT 

Figures show fall in recorded crime

SNP drops 1,000 extra police officers target as party promises to give Police Scotland 'flexibility'

However, the figures showed police numbers are still up by 1,008 since 2007 when the SNP pledged to increase the total number of officers by 1,000.

The target was an SNP commitment from 2007 until April this year, when it was dropped.

The Scottish Police Authority, which oversees Police Scotland, has previously said the policy of setting officer number targets represented a "very inflexible approach".

Minister for Community Safety Annabelle Ewing, commenting on the figures, said crime was at a 41-year low and that Scotland was as safe as it had been for over a generation.

She added: "This reduction in crime levels is supported by continued high numbers of police in Scotland's communities, and I am very pleased to note that numbers remain well in excess of those in 2007.

"Scotland's police officers and staff work incredibly hard to serve our communities, tackling violence and crime.

"We will continue to work with Police Scotland to support them by considering the implications of changing demands on Scottish policing and ensuring the right mix of officers and specialist staff to provide protection for Scotland's communities."