McInnes: SNP Jeopardises Grampian Police Numbers

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 25th Oct 2007

North East MSP Alison McInnes has warned the SNP Government that their broken promises on police numbers will hit the North East hardest.

She accused the SNP of backtracking on a promise of 1000 new police officers for Scotland, and failing to guarantee additional funding for Grampian.

Speaking in parliament today, McInnes called on the SNP to fulfil their manifesto pledges.

"People across Scotland are looking to the SNP to honour that promise of 1000 new police officers, and the people of Grampian expect to receive a fair share of those officers." She continued, "But broken promises are already a hallmark of this administration so perhaps we shouldn't hold our breath."

Grampian historically received a lower proportion of police funding than the Scottish national average, and despite the previous Liberal Democrat-Labour Executive increasing police numbers in Grampian by 17% between 1996 and 2006, the region still ranks seventh out of eight for police officers per head.

That administration earmarked a further £4.5M for Grampian Police, needed if the North East is to enjoy the same level of policing per head as the Scottish national average. However the SNP have refused to allocate this funding subjecting it to a "spending review".

McInnes told parliament that the region faces unique pressures on its existing police force, including a huge drug supply problem in Aberdeen, with traffickers targeting the city and the north east of Aberdeenshire.

Later she said, "If Grampian Police are not given the capacity to deal with this and other problems on a par with other Scottish regions, the long term social effects in the region will be disastrous. The SNP's refusal to honour the levelling policy we began in government is outrageous and smacks of political sour grapes."