3 MARCH 2010
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
LABOUR CONCERNED ABOUT DROP IN D&G POLICE NUMBERS

Official figures released this week show that the number of police officers in Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary are falling.

The SNP made a manifesto commitment at the 2007 Scottish Parliament election to increase police numbers across Scotland by 1,000. That equates to an increase in police numbers in Dumfries and Galloway of at last 30 officers.

Between September and December last year the number of police officers in Dumfries and Galloway dropped by 6, despite numbers across Scotland rising by 56. These latest figures show that not only is Dumfries and Galloway not getting its fair share, the numbers are in reverse.

Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray said: “People know the SNP are soft on crime with their plans to scrap six month prison sentences and unfortunately the drop in police numbers confirms the SNP are failing.

“I will be raising this with the Justice Minister as it is outrageous our region has been forgotten.

“Only last month SNP and Tories voted against Labour’s plans to expand the community warden scheme. We’ve got fewer police offices and the SNP/Tories voted against increasing the number of wardens. That underlines that they won’t back local communities in the fight against crime”.

Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown MP said: “There is no point in the SNP boasting about increasing police numbers in Scotland when in our region they’ve allowed them to fall.

“Dumfries and Galloway is the forgotten region under the SNP. If we had received our fair share of additional police offices we would have at least 13 more now but instead we’re going backwards.

“We need to address this urgently to stop any further decline. The SNP must start listening to our region and giving us what we rightly deserve.”

ENDS

CONTACT – ANDREW MACKENZIE 07769206856

NOTES TO EDITOR

The official figures show that in Q3 2009 Dumfries and Galloway had 519 police officers. This had dropped by 6 to 513 by Q4 2009.

Across Scotland the total number of police officers increased by 56 from 17,217 to 17,273.

The figures can be viewed here: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/03/01144951/3