Government services across the UK face severe strain from budget cuts and increased demand. While councils have implemented creative revenue-raising schemes like parking charges and traffic enforcement cameras, the police cannot adopt such measures.
Police Scotland has experienced particularly severe budgetary challenges, with over £1 billion removed from its budget since 2013. This has resulted in police numbers falling to their lowest levels in nearly two decades, with experienced officers departing and compounding existing problems.
The ripple effects extend throughout the justice system. Courts face similar funding constraints, causing longer police court appearances and increased cancellations. Traffic patrol officers have been significantly reduced across Scotland, according to constabulary inspections. Police facilities have deteriorated, and vital safety equipment like body-worn cameras remain unavailable to Scottish officers — the only UK police force lacking routine access to this technology.
These combined pressures force police to prioritise investigations serving clear public interest while cutting discretionary activities. The author references recent allegations against former First Minister Alex Salmond, who passed away last month. He argues that investigating deceased individuals — particularly those beyond the justice system's reach — wastes scarce police resources that could address active investigations.
The piece concludes that systematic defunding over a decade has created an untenable situation where police struggle investigating the living, rendering inquiries into the deceased wasteful.