Scottish Police Federation says officers scrambling about in charity shops for kit

Police Scotland is “scrambling about in charity shops” to find equipment for officers due to a spending squeeze facing the service, the head of the Scottish Police Federation has said. 

Calum Steele, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) said the public was being misled about the level of funding for services, which he claimed was making it harder to protect the victims of crime.

Steele issued the stark warning as he told Holyrood that officers were buying equipment from charity shops due to a lack of financial support.

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The SPF boss highlighted the case of an officer who had wanted to buy a sunblind for a police vehicle that was carrying a child.

He said that a more senior officer had told the SPF member to go out and buy the blind when they asked for one to protect the child passenger.

Steele said that there had been other cases where officers had bought goods they needed to do their job from charity shops, but claimed that this one had been the “straw that broke the camel’s back”.

He said: “The Police Service of Scotland (PSoS) is in such dire financial straits that it is sending officers to charity shops to source equipment that you could pick up for a couple of pounds in most supermarkets.

“General and criminal inquiries are passed from officer to officer to officer, grossly diminishing the care for victims and increasing the likelihood of mistakes being made, evidence being lost and greater costs and abstractions should the issue subsequently progress to court. 

“Cash is king and woe betide anyone who isn’t playing their part in making cuts. Theorising on paper that the service will be improved but cutting is a fool’s errand and the public is being misled over the policing realities of today.”

Steele added: “Imagine therefore a police service that is being strangled of the very capability to do what the public expects and what police officers know needs done, and you are now imagining the PSoS today, here and now.

“The public deserve better than a police service scrambling about in charity shops and treating victims of crime like unwanted wedding presents to be passed on and on and its long overdue that we acknowledge that and did something about it.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Police Authority said that it did "not recognise" the claims made by the SPF.

He said: “It is a priority for the SPA and Police Scotland that officers are well-equipped for the important day to day job they undertake. 

"The advent of the single service has allowed necessary equipment for police officers and staff, like uniforms, protective equipment and vehicles, to be procured centrally for the use of officers across the whole country and at best value for the taxpayer. 

“The SPA works with Police Scotland to assess the future demands on policing to ensure that every opportunity is taken to support our workforce with the very best training and equipment, making the job easier and more efficient so that they continue to deliver a high-quality service to the public.

"While policing has had a strong financial settlement in the coming year, there remain ongoing financial challenges to address, as there are for every public service, and it is important that all officers and staff play a part in meeting those.

"But we do not recognise the picture that these assertions from the SPF seem to be trying to paint.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman added: “The Scottish Government is committed to protecting the police revenue budget in real terms for the entirety of this Parliament, delivering an additional £100 million of investment over the next five years, in addition to £55 million of reform funding in 2016-17.

"Clearly, it is for SPA and Police Scotland to determine the best possible use of the budget according to national and local priorities.

“The Scottish Police Authority remains the only police authority in the UK unable to recover VAT which is liable to an annual cost of around £25 million. HM Treasury introduced a new section into the VAT Act to ensure central government-funded academy schools in England could recover VAT.

"We will continue to press the UKG to bring the VAT status of Scottish Police and Fire services into line with all other British and Northern Irish forces.”