The number of police officers in Ayrshire has fallen by 49 since the regional forces merged in 2013, say two MSPs.
Now calls have been made for the Scottish Government to adopt a new Local Policing Act — and get more bobbies on the beat.
The call comes from South Scotland Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSPs Sharon Dowey and Brian Whittle.
They claim Police Scotland’s own figures show that 840 divisional police officers have been lost since the regional forces merged in 2013.
And, as a result, officer numbers in Ayrshire have fallen by 49 — with 18 of those in the last year.
Mr Whittle says the SNP Government’s decisions have "weakened" local policing and set out his support for the Scottish Conservative party’s plan for a Local Policing Act, which would see more police patrolling Ayrshire’s streets and give local communities more of a say in how the area is policed.
Brian Whittle MSP said: “The SNP have failed to support local policing since they came to power and never more obviously than when they created Police Scotland eight years ago.
“A strong connection between police officers and their local community has always been a vital part of protecting and reassuring the public and that connection has become badly eroded on the SNP’s watch.
“Under this Scottish Government, people are seeing fewer and fewer officers patrolling the streets in Ayrshire and that has to change.
“That’s why I’m urging the SNP to back the Scottish Conservatives’ plans for a new Local Policing Act.”
MSP Sharon Dowey said: “The SNP have decimated local policing in Ayrshire since they created Police Scotland eight years ago.
“We need to see a strong police presence on our streets, but this won’t happen if the SNP continue to sit on their hands.
“The reality under the SNP is fewer and fewer police are patrolling our streets in Ayrshire.
“That’s why I’m backing Scottish Conservative plans to introduce a Local Policing Act.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said the recruitment and deployment of police officers was a matter for the Chief Constable.
The spokesperson continued: “Officer numbers have been maintained and are favourable relative to elsewhere in the UK, with around 32 officers per 10,000 population in Scotland compared to around 23 in England and Wales.
“The Scottish Government has increased police funding year-on-year since 2016-17, investing over £1.3 billion in 2021/22, and more than £10 billion since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013. And recorded crime remains at one of the lowest levels since 1974.”
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