Scots police federation consider legal action over planning for Donald Trump visit
An organisation representing the interests of Scots police officers is considering legal action over planning for Donald Trump's visit this week.
The Scottish Police Federation (SPF) claimed workforce agreements previously agreed by Police Scotland bosses were being "breached in the days leading to the arrival of the President".
It comes after the cash-strapped national constabulary was forced to request back-up officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland to deal with the arrival of the US leader, under "mutual aid" arrangements.
Trump will be in Scotland for five days from Friday and he is expected to visit both his golf courses in Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire, as well as open a third.
He will also hold talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Aberdeen and meet First Minister John Swinney. The trip will inspire huge protests and Police Scotland will deploy its officers to ensure order is maintained.
David Kennedy, SPF general secretary, said: "The reality is, if we had more police officers, we could ask for less mutual aid. We have been saying this for years now. We've seen a cut in police numbers and a cut in real time funding.
"We'll survive these events, but surviving is not as good as coping and being proactive when they are announced. The situation is not sustainable. It's destroying cops, they are absolutely shattered. It's not a good place to be at the moment."
He added: We currently have workforce agreements in place to protect police officers and provide minimum standards of Health and Safety at work. Sadly, we have seen these agreements breached in the days leading to the arrival of the President and as such we are seeking legal advice regarding potential legal action against the service."
A spokesperson from the Northern Irish force said: 'There are well established processes for any UK based Police Services to request support from other services at times of peak demand.
'These requests are managed via the National Police Co-ordination Centre (NPoCC) and we can confirm that PSNI have received a request to provide mutual aid to Police Scotland which we are currently assessing.
'The decision to provide officers under the mutual aid process will be considered against our own demands, ensuring that we retain the capacity to respond effectively to local issues and maintain our own operational competence.'
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