Donald Trump's Scotland visit 'recipe for disaster' for struggling frontline cops
Donald Trump's visit to Scotland threatens a policing 'disaster' amid staff shortages, cop burnout and stretched budgets, rank-and-file officers warn.
The US president arrives in Scotland on Friday and stays until Tuesday, July 29.
He is set to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Aberdeen and has scheduled separate talks with First Minister John Swinney.
But even a flying visit will rack up a £5million bill for taxpayers – while the threat of mass protests could strain the force further.
Police Scotland officer numbers are at near-historic lows of around 16,500 – with almost a third, about 5000, expected to be deployed or on standby for Trump's visit.
David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said: 'It's a recipe for disaster. We don't have enough cops.
' President Trump is a magnet to certain groups. There will be protests.
"And just because the president is one place doesn't mean that's where the protests will take place.
"With this event, it is survival mode. That's the mentality that will set in.'
The Stop Trump Coalition is organising a 'festival of resistance' including a major demo in Aberdeen on Saturday.
A spokesperson said: ' John Swinney should stand with the people of Scotland and say no to a humiliating photo opportunity with the leader of the international far-right."
Trump's last presidential visit in July 2018 prompted widespread protests in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, at a cost of more than £3million to Police Scotland. It required 'mutual aid', with forces from around the UK were drafted in.
It sparked a cost-sharing row between Holyrood and Westminster. The UK-wide policing bill for the event topped £18million.
In his first term in office, Trump spent two nights at his Turnberry resort in Ayrshire before heading to England.
Tens of thousands protested, with an 'angry orange baby' blimp in Edinburgh and a paraglider with an anti-Trump banner sailing over Turnberry. In March, Turnberry's clubhouse was vandalised by pro-Palestine protesters.
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This visit will mean police holidays and rest days cancelled and many landed with 12-hour shifts, Kennedy said. He added: 'We'll survive but we shouldn't have to just survive. They will need plenty of help from the UK.
'All this costs money and Police Scotland's budget is already bust. Everybody working longer hours and days has a knock-on effect for months, if not years.'
He said a raft of specialist units, including firearms officers, would need to be deployed with help from other UK forces.
Kennedy added: "We've only got so many firearms officers in Scotland so we will need more.
"Whilst you have those protecting the president, you've also got to have those protecting the public.
"We have to make sure we still have that resilience that if something goes wrong, those people are there now.
"When I'm getting told my firearms officers are having to work 12-hour shifts, I'm not happy about that.
"I think that's extremely long shifts and potentially long days for people carrying guns that may have to use them.'
Last week, the force insisted Trump's visit wouldn't 'come at the expense' of communities.
But Kennedy said it will. He added: 'We don't have enough officers now to police Scotland. This needs to be a wake-up call for the Scottish Government.'
It comes after Police Scotland's controversial move last year to downgrade 'minor' crimes to free up resources, meaning they will no longer investigate offences like vandalism and thefts where there are no leads.
The Scottish Government said Swinney's talk with Trump is 'an opportunity to promote the interests of Scotland'.
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