Fears have been raised over the future of campus cops in some Glasgow schools following changes to a council fund.
Drumchapel High School and Knightswood Secondary School could lose out on having an on-site officer, it has been claimed.
Local councillor Paul Carey says the roles are under “severe threat” after a new fund for charities and community groups was introduced.
The Glasgow Communities Fund is replacing the integrated grant fund from April next year. It is designed to support third sector organisations across the city, with more than £60m available over three years.
They can apply for between £20,000 and £200,000 per year.
However, Mr Carey is concerned the fund’s lower limit will prevent some groups from being able to bid for money.
The Scottish Police Authority was awarded £16,000, from the old fund, to partly cover the costs of a campus officer for 2019/20 at a meeting in March. It received the same amount for 2019/19.
The majority of Glasgow schools have a campus officer to assist “young people to make positive choices for the future avoiding crime and anti-social behaviour”.
In most cases, the costs are split equally between the school and Police Scotland.
Mr Carey said: “It is going to have a huge impact on the community. I am deeply concerned that these rules have been set.
“This is an appalling situation that the minority administration have put us in.”
He said the officers do “fantastic work”, particularly identifying problems within the community.
When the new fund was approved, councillor Jennifer Layden, city convener for community empowerment, equalities and human rights, said the city “needed a fairer funding programme which works better for all of the third sector”.
She said the council had worked in partnership with the third sector to find a “more equitable” approach.
“Labour leaders, when they were in charge didn’t have the guts nor the political will to make this happen and denied thousands of groups access to funding.”
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