Local Policing Act

Crime has increased since the pandemic with violent crime, sexual crime, domestic abuse and shoplifting all skyrocketing. Between 2020 and 2024, non-sexual crimes of violence increased by 10%, sexual crimes increased by 11%, domestic abuse increased by 50% and shoplifting increased by 89% – with overall recorded crime rising too. 

There are over 800 fewer police officers today than there were before the pandemic. There were 16,553 police officers on the streets in April 2025 compared to 17,431 at the beginning of 2020 – which is a fall of 878 officers. 2024 also saw police officer numbers fall to their lowest level since 2007.

Almost 900 police officers have been cut from local divisions since the SNP centralised the police force. Since 2013, the number of police officers belonging to local police divisions has been cut from 13,008 to12,113 – a cut of 895 officers. Divisional police officers are the core local resource that respond to calls and patrol our streets.

The SNP Government have underfunded Police Scotland and left communities with policing deserts. 333 police stations across Scotland are currently in need of repair with the Chair of the Scottish Police Federation warning that underfunding has led to policing deserts with an invisible policing presence. The Scottish Conservatives have called for a substantial increase in capital funding for Police Scotland to spend on upgrading vehicles, stations and crime-fighting equipment.

Our Local Policing Act will boost street patrols. 

Rising violent crime and falling numbers of police patrolling our streets demonstrate the need to boost local police patrols to deter crimes. A Local Policing Act would require Police Scotland to set local targets for the number of hours police spend patrolling the streets and report on their progress.

Our Local Policing Act will keep local police stations open. 

More than 140 police stations have closed since the formation of Police Scotland and hundreds of frontline officers have been lost during the same period. Our Local Policing Act would ensure all communities across Scotland have a visible police presence by ensuring adequate resources reach local police stations and divisions. That, in turn, would make people feel safe in their communities.

Our Local Policing Act will ensure our police have the equipment and staff they need. 

We must ensure more officers are on the streets, instead of filling office vacancies, by adequately investing in support staff. We would support special constables and review their remuneration. We would also provide the full amount of capital funding which Police Scotland requested this year to invest in proper IT systems and the buildings and vehicles they need to operate effectively.

Our Local Policing Act will give local communities a voice.

Communities have raised concerns that policing decisions are not subject to enough local engagement and scrutiny. Our Local Policing Act would establish new formalised links between local communities and police to allow for greater public input into the policing decisions that affect them.

Read more Scottish Conservative justice policies.