Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser has criticised the SNP for what he describes as their “sustained neglect” of policing in Tayside.
His remarks follow revelations by the Scottish Conservatives that more than 300 police stations across Scotland are currently in need of repairs.
A Freedom of Information response received by the party shows that 32 police stations in Tayside require maintenance or have been deemed unfit for purpose. The data also reveals that nearly 100 police stations have been sold since 2016.
Fraser said it was unsurprising that officer morale is low when personnel are often expected to work in dilapidated and “dreadful” conditions in Tayside stations.
He argued that successive SNP justice secretaries have failed to prioritise community policing, undermining efforts to tackle crime and keep local communities safe. Fraser added that the SNP’s cuts to policing budgets are telling, especially given that the force still lacks the funds to repair stations in Tayside despite having sold nearly 100 properties over the past decade.
“These shocking figures expose the SNP’s sustained neglect of policing in Tayside,” Fraser said.
“People across the region will be dismayed to learn that so many police stations require repairs or are no longer fit for use.
“It speaks volumes that, even after the SNP’s centralised police force has sold almost 100 buildings since 2016, it still lacks the funding to carry out essential repairs because of severe SNP budget cuts.
“It is unacceptable that our dedicated officers in Tayside are being asked to work in run-down stations in dreadful condition. No wonder morale is so low when these are the working environments officers are faced with.”
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