‘Intense operating environment’ placing high demand on Police Scotland officers

President Rob Hay was responding to a budget submission to the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee, in which Chief Constable Jo Farrell set out her requirements for funding policing for the 2026/27 financial year.

Addressing a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority Board on Thursday (September 25), Ms Farrell said: “The evidence underlines the success of policing reform in Scotland since 2013 and seeks ongoing support for a second phase to build a modernised workforce able to keep pace with developing demand, deliver for our communities to reduce vulnerability and harm and keep people safe from the threats of today and those coming down the line.”

But she also highlighted how policing continues to respond to an “intense operating environment”, illustrated by a high-level of protest and counter-protest across the country each week.

“While the vast majority of these have been peaceful, there have been challenging dynamics and appropriate police planning and resource is required, placing pressure on our workforce,” Ms Farrell said.

“To provide a sense of the pressure, over the weekend just gone around 280 officers, over 35 sergeants, and ten inspectors were deployed in relation to demonstrations, including in Glasgow, Falkirk, Dundee and Perth, with similar levels of protest anticipated over the coming weekend.

“Of course, this has a cost to the organisation and also a work-life balance pressure on officers who have rest days cancelled to do these duties.”

Mr Hay said that superintendents and chief superintendents in Scotland – as the most senior operational police officers – “were being pushed to the brink by day-to-day policing and these large-scale events”, including the visit of President Trump in August, and the upcoming Commonwealth Games in 2026.

He said that years of pressures to reduce budgets had left Police Scotland “under considerable strain” and the workforce facing “intolerable pressure”.

“We wholeheartedly endorse Chief Constable Jo Farrell’s assessment of what is needed to provide a modern police service for Scotland, built upon a strong and accessible community policing model,” said Mr Hay.

“The evidence provided to the Criminal Justice Committee is rich and detailed, and we’ve never seen such consistent alignment from both Police Scotland and the staff associations, ourselves and the Scottish Police Federation.

“The assessment is clear about what is required for policing. The public now needs the Scottish government to step up to the mark and fund what is required for a modern service.”

Ms Farrell pointed out the pressure on the superintending ranks in her submission to Parliament.

“The reduction in chief officer ranks was a stated intention of police reforms, but the reduction in superintending ranks was not and was an unforeseen consequence,” said Mr Hay.

“We are at the point where command resilience at those operational ranks of superintendent, the most senior operational officers we have in the service, are on the brink of being compromised every time we have a major operation.

“We’re delighted to see the recognition of the burden that’s placed on the men and women who are delivering the most challenging operations at the superintending ranks.”

And Mr Hay said that if the Scottish government does not meet Ms Farrell’s funding requirements, it will have a devastating effect on policing in Scotland and officer wellbeing.

He concluded: “The current operating model is unsustainable. Sustained demand from major operations, combined with reduced workforce resilience and increasing everyday pressures, threatens both officer wellbeing and service effectiveness.

“Greater investment in officer numbers, infrastructure and technology, alongside reforms in partner sectors such as health and justice, are essential to safeguard local policing, protect our workforce and build the resilience needed to meet the inevitable cycle of future large-scale events.”