Police Scotland officer numbers could fall to lowest in 23 years, watchdog warns
Scottish Police Authority says flat cash settlement would be 'devastating', requiring 958 officer cuts
Police Scotland faces having to cut officer numbers to 15,600, the lowest since 2003-04, if it receives a flat cash budget settlement, the Scottish Police Authority has warned, saying recruitment would stop and the service would be devastated. The force is asking the Scottish government for a £110m increase to maintain staffing levels and meet rising demand.