iStockScottish police officers are “falling asleep at the wheel” as they travel hours to cover staffing shortfalls in the country’s remote areas.
When it comes to policing the remote, rural and island communities across the country, Police Scotland says it faces a “unique set of challenges”.
In a bid to address staffing issues, especially during periods of high demand, officers are seconded from other areas.
According to the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), those based in Dunoon have been required to travel to Rothesay on 94 separate occasions between January 1 and June 8.
This equates to a total of 5,264 miles in travel distance and 188 hours in travel time. In cases where officers are travelling to cover weekend night shifts on the island, they only stay for three hours before having to return to ensure the last ferry is caught.
The police union also claims that due to officers covering shifts in Rothesay, staff in Helensburgh are being seconded to Dunoon.
This has occurred on 73 occasions within the same time frame, totalling 8,322 miles in travel distance and 219 hours in travel time.
Officers in Dumbarton are being asked to make a four-hour round trip to cover staffing shortfalls during the night shift in Oban.
Similar resource issues are being reported in Campbeltown and Lochgilphead, with supervisors telling the SPF that “officers are nearly falling asleep at the wheel due to fatigue”.
The general secretary of the SPF, David Kennedy, told STV News that officers being used to “plug resource gaps” will have an impact both on staff and the service provided to the public.
He added: “Fatigue, increased workloads and uncertainty around day-to-day deployments can all have an impact on officer well-being and operational effectiveness.
“Police officers have shown considerable professionalism and flexibility in responding to these challenges, but there is a limit to how much additional demand can be absorbed without consequences.
“Financial pressures must not result in operational decisions that simply transfer risk and workload onto frontline officers.”
Police Scotland has told STV News that flexible working plans are in place to assist staff working away from their usual beat.
The force has also increased the number of police accommodations it has on the Isle of Bute in an effort to attract officers to the area.
It confirmed that they recruit staff from forces outside of the country who may wish to work in remote or rural areas.
A spokesperson added: “Although we ensure all local policing posts are filled, our local policing teams are supplemented by secondees at busy times. Support from other areas is provided to ensure resilience when officers are abstracted from their usual duties, including to attend court or while on annual leave.
“Officers make sacrifices every day to keep people safe, and their dedication and professionalism is the reason we manage to deliver effective policing for all our communities.
“Their welfare is of the utmost importance to us and we work closely with staff organisations to ensure they are supported.”
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
