POLICE Scotland could be set to lose one third of senior officers through retirement in the next two years, according to the Scottish Conservatives.
Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request show that 133 superintendents, 13 per cent of the force’s total, are eligible to retire in 2016, and a further 15 per cent are due for retirement the year after.
More than a quarter of chief superintendents are set to retire next year.
This could mean Police Scotland losing 55 of their 175 most senior staff between now and 2017, according to the Tories.
The figures come after a grim staff survey showed that morale amongst officers in Police Scotland was low, with a third of police officers saying they wanted to leave the force, and most of those claiming they did not feel valued in their work.
Half of those working for the force said their morale was hit by changes to pensions, which saw retirement age increase and an end to the final salary scheme.
Scottish Conservative justice spokeswoman Margaret Mitchell said the statistics were “deeply concerning”, adding: “These individuals provide crucial leadership and bring considerable expertise to their day-to-day roles, which will be a great loss for the single force during this key period of transition.
“I know firsthand from officers that the high turnover of senior management is causing continuity problems.
“Regrettably, based on the force’s retirement projections, these only seem set to continue over the next couple of years. We need assurances from the new chief constable that measures are in place to recruit suitably qualified replacements and provide much-needed stability for the rank-and-file. After a difficult two years, it deserves nothing less.” A spokeswoman for the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) said: “The decision on when an officer decides to retire or move on is a personal one and it is not for the SPA to speculate in this regard. With responsibility for appointing Police Scotland’s senior leadership team, succession planning is an ongoing piece of our work.
“This is informed by regular dialogue with our senior officers and our officers are required to give the SPA a three-month notice period.
“In addition, the SPA identified as a top priority the finding from the staff survey that one in three of the workforce would consider leaving Police Scotland within the next three years.
“The SPA and Police Scotland have made clear their determination to fully address the issues raised by staff and to engage with the workforce on what the solutions to those issues should be. That engagement exercise is well under way and will inform a comprehensive plan of action which will be set out early in the new year.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We have delivered 1,000 additional officers compared to 2007, in stark contrast to the situation in England and Wales, where police officer numbers have fallen by more than 15,000 (10.8 per cent) from March 2007 to March 2015.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here