Thousands of frontline police are being sent out on to the streets without proper training, according to new figures.
A quarter haven’t taken part in vital refresher safety courses to help protect themselves and the public.
Each year, officers are required to take the two-day sessions – featuring updates on the use of handcuffs, batons and equipment.
The programmes were put on hold for two months in January and December due to a budget overspend and recruitment freeze. Staff due to be trained had to be deployed to other duties creating a backlog.
Currently, 3401 of 14,267 Police Scotland officers have missed out on safety training. Representative body the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) says training cutbacks and delays have put cops at increased risk of assault, resulting in a corresponding rise in sick leave.
There were 1431 reports of attacks on officers between April and June, up from 1299 for the same period last year.
The SPF believes the rise is linked to the missed training. Chair David Threadgold said the force has never recovered from the training freeze.
He added: “The annual two-day training gives officers a chance to update their skills and equipment, including body armour.
“There is clear evidence if you don’t have the most up-to-date training, you are more likely to be assaulted. At the moment, almost 3500 in Scotland are not officer safety trained.”
In June 1994, constable Lewis Fulton, 28, was stabbed to death by schizophrenic Philip McFadden in Glasgow’s Gorbals. His widow Christine – who attended a National Police Memorial tribute in Glasgow last week to the 5000 officers killed on duty over 180 years – said: “There should never ever be cuts to the budget for officer safety. You can’t put a price on somebody’s life and say we will save money by not fully training them.”
The number of officers dropped to 16,207 at the end of June, the lowest since records began in 2007 and fewer than the 17,496 when Police Scotland was created in 2013.
A roll-out of 10,500 body cameras which would increase protection has been postponed until next year due to technical issues. Scottish Tory deputy justice spokesperson Sharon Dowey MSP said: “It is common sense that every officer should be able to carry out this safety training, so it is deeply alarming that thousands of them have missed out.”
Superintendent Jackie Dunbar, from learning, training and development, said: “The safety of our people is a top priority and we are committed to ensuring that all officers and staff eligible for this renewal of their training have completed the course by the end of the year.”
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