Police officers at 'breaking point' after surge in mental health and stress absences
Police officers are at 'breaking point' after stress and mental health absences soared by over 50%.
The figures, covering the last three years, show a huge rise in the number of cops off work because of psychological issues.
According to stats uncovered by Labour, the number rose from 814 in 2021 to 1,236 last year, an increase of 52%.
Labour MSP Pauline McNeill said: 'It's clear police in Scotland are at breaking point after years of SNP mismanagement and neglect.
'We owe it to police officers to ensure they have the support they need while they work to keep our communities safe, but it's clear that is not the case under the SNP.
'The SNP has let police officer numbers collapse over the last five years, piling pressure on remaining officers and threatening to undermine public safety."
She added: 'The SNP must wake up to this growing mental health crisis and work with Police Scotland to support officers struggling with stress, trauma or poor mental health.
' Police officers cannot keep bearing the brunt of SNP failure – more must be done to support police and the vital work they do.'
David Kennedy, General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said 'Police officer numbers have collapsed over the last five years, creating a dangerous shortage of officers on our streets and putting public safety at risk.
'This chronic understaffing is having a devastating impact not only on the service Police Scotland can deliver, but also on the officers themselves—piling unmanageable workloads and stress onto those who remain.
'What doesn't help is senior police leaders continually insisting that the service can cope when it can't—the service may be surviving, but those it impacts are suffering. We urgently need action to reverse this decline, ensure visible policing in our communities, and protect the public from the consequences of this mismanagement.'
Alan Speirs, Deputy Chief Constable at Police Scotland, said: "The health and welfare of our officers and staff remains one of Police Scotland's highest priorities with enhanced provisions from both our Employee Assistance and Your Wellbeing Matters programmes.
'This will be further enhanced through the implementation of our new HR structure with increased resource within our Health and Wellbeing team.
'We also have a range of mechanisms in place to support our employees who are absent from work for any reason.
'We continue to work with our occupational health provider to support police officers and staff in their journey back to health and, subsequently, to work.'
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Police officers and staff do a challenging job and we have welcomed the Chief Constable's commitment to workforce wellbeing.
'Staff and officers can access a range of services to support their physical and mental wellbeing. This includes access to a 24/7 employee assistance programme, and direct access to occupational health services.
'We are investing a record £1.64 billion for policing in 2025-26 – an increase of £90 million on 2024-25 – and Police Scotland took on more recruits in 2024-25 than at any time since 2013, with more intakes planned this year.'
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