Majority of Scots say police are less visible in their communities
More than half of people in Scotland believe police officers have become less visible in their communities over the past five years, according to a new survey.
The poll of more than 2,000 adults found that 53 per cent believe there has been a noticeable reduction in police visibility in their local area, compared with just 14 per cent who believe officers are more visible.
The findings have prompted renewed debate over police resourcing and the future of neighbourhood policing.
The survey, carried out by Survation for 1919 Magazine, also found that almost four in ten respondents feel less confident about reporting crime to police than they did five years ago.
David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said visible policing played an important role in preventing crime, gathering intelligence and maintaining public confidence. He said the findings should act as a warning to policymakers about the need for sustained investment in frontline policing.
The survey comes amid continuing discussion about police funding in Scotland. Police Scotland received an additional £90.4 million in day-to-day spending this financial year, although Chief Constable Jo Farrell previously said the force required a further £15 million simply to maintain existing services. Officer numbers stood at 16,430 full-time equivalents at the end of March, a reduction of 123 compared with the previous year.
The poll also found strong public support for maintaining a local police station presence, with around 40 per cent saying their community would be safer if it had an operational police station.
Responding to the findings, opposition politicians accused the Scottish Government of failing to adequately support frontline policing, while ministers said Scotland continued to have more police officers per head of population than England and Wales and pointed to record investment in policing.