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Scots cops off work amid assaults surge as chief slammed for training delays

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Scots cops off work amid assaults surge as chief slammed for training delays

Police Scotland officers off work in assault-related absences have soared by more than a third in a year amid a rise in attacks on frontline cops.

Senior and rank-and-file leaders have raised concerns about a pause in safety and other training as the force tries to balance its books.




Scotland’s justice and social affairs magazine 1919 have reported concerns that the national rollout of body-worn cameras for officers has been delayed. Chief Constable Jo Farrell announced last year that the force would begin the process of introducing the technology this summer, but this may now be postponed until the end of the year.

Police Scotland(Image: DAILY RECORD)

As well as helping to de-escalate incidents, bodycams – which are standard equipment in England and Wales – assist with officer safety. According to a force report submitted to the Scottish Police Authority’s (SPA) people committee, sickness absences due to assault rose by 36.2 per cent between 2022/23 and 2023/24.

Safety training courses were postponed between December and January to deploy staff for frontline duties during the busy Christmas and New Year period. Between 1,200 and 1,400 did not receive officer safety training for a month, sparking fears of a backlog, potentially increasing the risk of injuries.

Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPS) president Rob Hay told an SPA hearing: “When you look at the number of assaults that have gone up, and the fact that the likelihood of injury associated with that is more severe, you could directly attribute that to the fact that we chose to pause that training for a month.”

The force’s latest workforce annual report reveals there were 5,439 assaults in 2023/24 — up 16.2 per cent from the 4,682 recorded in 2022/23, and a 16.8 per cent increase from the 4,657 assaults in 2021/22.

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