STEVENSON WELCOMES RECORD LEVELS OF POLICE IN GRAMPIAN

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has welcomed the latest publication of police numbers that show record levels of police on Scotland’s streets. As of December 2008 Grampian Police now has 1,483 FTE officers, up 43 from December 2007 and 109 since the May 2007 elections.

Across Scotland, there are an additional 109 police officers since last quarter’s record numbers and an additional 441 since the SNP came to power.

Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:

“I am delighted that these figures reveal the substantial work that the SNP Government is doing to make the streets of Banff & Buchan safer for ordinary people.

“By putting more bobbies on the beat, crime is being driven down across the country as the police become an ever more visible presence. Before the election we promised to put 1, 000 more police officers on Scotland’s streets and these latest figures demonstrate that we are well on the way to achieving this.

“I know that residents of Banff & Buchan will welcome this latest progress and the impact it will have on making their communities safer. Where south of the border police numbers are being cut back, the SNP is committed to delivering a safer Scotland through continued increases to police numbers”.