POLICE officers from England and Northern Ireland will be deployed in Scotland to help with policing operations surrounding US president Donald Trump’s visit.
Trump will visit both of his golf courses in Scotland, Turnberry, Ayrshire, and Menie in Aberdeenshire, while he makes his first visit to the country since he was elected as US president for a second term.
The US president will meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer while in [[Aberdeen]], and there are plans for him to meet the First Minister John Swinney while he is in the country between July 25 and 29.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland has confirmed “a number of officers” will be arriving in Scotland, with the cost of deployment being paid for by Police Scotland.
A spokesperson from the force said: “A number of officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland will travel to Scotland in the coming days to support Police Scotland colleagues in the planning and safe delivery of policing around the US presidential visit.
“The deployment follows a request for mutual aid via the National Police Co-ordination Centre (NPoCC).
“The full cost of the deployment will be recovered from Police Scotland.”
Durham and Cheshire constabularies also confirmed they have received a request from Police Scotland and will provide support during Trump’s visit.
The head of a police body warned on Wednesday that policing across Scotland will be “seriously affected” by the visit.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Wednesday, David Kennedy, the general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation – the body which represents rank-and-file police officers – said: “Anyone who says it won’t affect it (policing in Scotland), I can’t believe that’s the case.
“It will affect it.
“You may be waiting in the past for so many hours for a police officer to arrive, that could double now, you may be waiting for more time for them to arrive.
“Obviously, emergency calls will take priority, but it will affect communities in Scotland.
“We’ve been asking long and weary to have more police officers in our communities in Scotland and all this does is take them away from that at this time.”
Asked if the quality of policing will be impacted by the visit, Kennedy added: “It will be seriously affected, it has to be.
“There’s not enough police officers for it not to be affected.”
Concerns have also been raised about the cost of the policing operation, with officers likely to cancel rest days to ensure adequate staffing.
