The union leader for Tayside Police’s civilian staff has branded the SNP’s pledge of 1,000 extra officers a ”hollow promise”.
Labour Party member George McIrvine was speaking after the party called on the SNP to investigate if the extra police are being taken off the beat to perform support duties.
Deputy leader Johann Lamont warned that support staff numbers fell by 428, which she said undermines public safety.
She called for a review of jobs to identify where officers are being deployed amid concerns they are being shifted to take on civilian roles.
She asked Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill: ”There are 1,000 extra police officers are they all on the beat?
”Have you clarified that that’s what they’re doing? And are we making the most logical, rational decisions about our service?”
Mr MacAskill said he cannot interfere with operational matters, which are overseen by chief constables answerable to police boards.
He added: ”There is no room for complacency about the need for more improvement, but we are working hard to keep communities safe and to build on the progress that we’ve made since 2007.”
Conservative MSP John Lamont highlighted his party’s support for the Scottish Government policy of putting 1,000 extra police on the street, but he said there was now a ”serious risk of this becoming a PR exercise rather than a real visible change in police presence.”
He continued: ”The fall in support staff has led some people to believe the hole will now need to be plugged by frontline police officers.”
After the debate, Mr McIrvine welcomed the issue being discussed at Holyrood.
But he added: ”It is disappointing that the justice secretary ignored the point completely, along with other SNP MSPs, who also missed the point entirely on the plight of police staff job security and attack on terms and conditions.
”We should not be taking police officers off frontline duties to fill redundant posts. The need to revisit the manifesto pledge is of paramount importance.”
Mr McIrvine added that 90 posts in Tayside have not been filled in the past year with further cuts expected.