By Steve Bargeton, political editor, and Steven Bell

THE SNP Scottish Government was last night accused of breaking its election promise on police numbers after announcing funds to recruit 500 new officers.

And The Courier discovered that in Tayside and Fife the extra cash would mean only 20 more officers.

At the Holyrood elections in May the SNP said they would provide an extra 1000 officers on the beat.

Yesterday justice secretary Kenny MacAskill announced that Scotland’s eight forces are to get £54 million to recruit 500 new officers—150 in the next financial year. Ministers claim the other 500 will be met by improved retention of skilled and experienced officers and redeploying officers on to the beat.

Pressed for a breakdown of the figures the Scottish Government said that, based on current expenditure, Tayside will get 11 new officers in this financial year and Fife nine.

Opposition parties called the announcement a “betrayal” and a “sham” and accused the SNP of breaking their election pledge. But Mr MacAskill said the Government would honour its commitment to putting 1000 extra police officers in the community.

“What matters to the public is the ability of the police to respond to local problems and the key to the police service’s ability to respond is not its overall size, but its capacity—the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time,” he said.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland) has been asked to review the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of centralising recruitment across the country’s eight police forces.

A review of the 30+ retention scheme has also been launched as forces face up to the prospect of around 2300 experienced officers being eligible for retirement in the next four years.

“I expect police authorities to use the savings gained to redouble their efforts to tackle bureaucracy, drive out inefficiency, exploit the opportunities of new technology and free up officer time to be redeployed into strengthening operational policing in our communities,” said the minister.

“Government, chief constables and conveners of police boards all have key roles in delivering this commitment.

“Our aim is to ensure that communities across Scotland have a clear understanding of the levels of visible identifiable and accessible policing they have a right to expect; how those levels are being met; and how communities’ views will be taken into account in the determination of police priorities.”

But Labour accused the SNP of breaking a key election pledge.

“This is nothing less than a betrayal of people across Scotland,” said justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill. “Before the election the SNP said very clearly that they would recruit an extra 1000 police officers. Now less than six months into government they admit they will only hire half of this.

“Given that many people will have voted SNP because of their promise to recruit 1000 police the SNP must now urgently explain why they will not do this. This is just another example of the broken promises we have come to expect from this SNP government.”

Ms McNeill pointed out that between 1999 and 2007 the number of police officers across Scotland rose by more than 1500, an average of 750 per parliamentary session—50% more than the SNP plan to recruit.

Scottish Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken called the announcement a “sham”. He said “The SNP promised an extra £78 million for police and yet today we are told they are only making £54 million available.

“Today we are told that, after initially promising 1000 additional police officers, and then backtracking to ‘1000 more police in our communities,’ we are in fact only getting 500 extra officers and the SNP cannot guarantee any of them will be out on the beat.

“Today they have finally admitted this key manifesto pledge was nothing more than a con.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Nicol Stephen said, “This announcement is a complete sham. The SNP are breaking a crystal clear election promise to deliver 1000 extra police officers.

“Those who put their trust in the SNP will be dismayed by this betrayal of Scotland’s police.”

Speaking later, Mr McAskill said, “You don‘t collect police officers like toy soldiers, you don’t have a bragging contest about the precise number you have if they are located behind desks or doing needless jobs.

“What matters is delivering and we are delivering 1000 new officers into our communities through recruitment, retention and redeployment, and we believe that all three are equally important.”

The Scottish Police Federation, which represents more than 16,000 officers, welcomed the announcement.

General secretary Joe Grant said, “This is a positive step in the right direction. We look forward to working with the cabinet secretary on the other elements of his approach.

“Time will tell if that works to deliver further new capacity.”

Colin McKerracher, chief constable of Grampian Police and president of ACPOS, said, “ACPOS welcomes the announcement by the cabinet secretary for justice of a package of measures to make 1000 additional officers available in our communities…

“We are also keen to work with the Scottish Government, police boards and other stakeholders in relation to enhancing community-based policing whilst at the same time ensuring that the wide range of other policing responsibilities are delivered.”

The £54 million for new police officers will be in addition to other police funding due to be announced by finance secretary in the SNP Govern- ment’s first budget tomorrow.

Tayside Police Chief Constable John Vine said last night any announcement to boost the numbers of front line officers at the force’s disposal was welcome.

“The Tayside Police Style, introduced more than five years ago, refocused our attentions on the need to have as many uniformed officers on the frontline as possible.

“In 2007, we continue to review where officers’ ‘in-house’ roles can be civilianised and the police officers returned to operational duties.

“We have also taken great strides in reducing sickness absence and will soon roll out a new variable shift pattern that will ensure that officers are on duty at times of peak demand and will lend itself to enhancing visi- bility and public reassurance.”

Ian Mackintosh, convener of Tayside Joint Police board, said, “Any increase in police numbers is to be welcomed and the board will play its part in working with the Scottish Government and Tayside Police to ensure that we deliver the right result to our community.”

MSP Marlyn Glen said last night, “Dundee and Tayside want their fair share and not half of their fair share of the 1000 new police officers that they are entitled to.

“The SNP have broken a clear election promise to the people of this area of Scotland.”

Perth MSP Roseanna Cunningham said, “I know the people I represent will be delighted this government is taking action to ensure there are significantly more police in our communities, protecting the public and detecting and deterring crime.”