Scotland’s national police service reports that they incurred £3 million in overtime costs in a single month due to policing demands from major crime, protests, and various public events.
Under financial pressure, Police Scotland is allocating as much as £100,000 daily to overtime in order to manage the surge in gang-related crime and demonstrations outside asylum seeker accommodations.
In September, the police service allocated £3 million to overtime to tackle what they identified as severe and organized crime, alongside an extraordinary number of protests and public gatherings.
The department reports that officers are frequently summoned on their days off to handle the additional demands and responsibilities.
Since March, Police Scotland has been investigating a string of arson attacks and other violent incidents in Edinburgh and Glasgow, which are believed to be linked to a longstanding dispute between the Lyons and Daniel crime families. This operation, named Operation Portaledge, has led to 62 arrests so far.
Additional police have also been deployed to manage protests and counter-protests outside hotels that are housing asylum seekers and migrants in cities like Falkirk, Aberdeen, and Perth.
The overtime expenditure in September is believed to be among the highest on record.
Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs commented, “In the past year, the demand has significantly increased, not just in terms of policing serious and organized crime, but also due to an unprecedented level of protests and events.
“Our officers and staff are working extremely hard to serve our communities and ensure their safety, and the organization is extremely thankful for their dedication.
“The unpredictable nature of policing often necessitates overtime, which remains a flexible tool that helps us maintain an effective service across all communities,” he added.
Details of the seven-figure overtime cost were disclosed during a session of the Holyrood Criminal Justice Committee. Mr. Speirs informed MSPs, “At times, we are drawing officers away from communities. In September, our overtime spend reached £3 million, largely driven by the increased demands placed on our services.”
Chief Constable Jo Farrell also told MSPs, “We are cancelling more time off to meet these demands. If we cannot give our officers the days back within 90 days, the regulations say that we need to compensate them for that time.”
The current number of police officers in Scotland stands at 16,441, one of the lowest numbers since the establishment of the national force in 2013.
David Kennedy, General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, stated, “If you reduce the number of police officers, then more overtime is necessary to fill the gaps.
“It involves extra money but it also means extra pressure as you are putting more hours on officers.
“You don’t get the best out of people by continually paying them overtime.
“It means they are not getting any rest as they are doing it on their days off.”
Scottish Labour justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill commented, “With more than £10.3 billion additional funding handed to the Scottish Government since Labour came to power at Westminster last year, there can be no excuses for the SNP. They must use this money to tackle the crisis in our justice system, support hardworking Police Scotland officers and staff, and enhance public safety across the country.”
Scottish Conservative justice spokesperson Liam Kerr added, “Officers are being stretched to their limits and are constantly being asked to go above and beyond to plug gaps in staffing.”
Police Scotland is requesting an additional £104.9 million from the Scottish Government in next year’s budget to meet rising demands and costs. There were also a series of high-profile events during the summer which required additional policing, including the Oasis concerts at Murrayfield in Edinburgh and TRNSMT in Glasgow.
Police Scotland also had to make £500,000 worth of extra payments to officers for working on their days off in July which included the visit of President Donald Trump to Scotland. Last month, the Daily Record revealed how the force has spent £533,000 on overtime during the first six months of Operation Portaledge. The violence is alleged to have been orchestrated by former Rangers Union Bears fan group leader Ross McGill from a base in Dubai. The main targets have been friends and associates of the Daniel crime family including Edinburgh cocaine baron Mark Richardson.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said, “We have invested a record £1.64 billion for policing this year, and our continued investment enabled Police Scotland to take on more recruits in the last financial year than at any time since 2013. With further intakes planned during 2025-26, Scotland has more police officers per capita than England and Wales.”
Hi, I’m Benjamin, a member of the Sherburne County Citizen team. With a passion for writing and a deep interest in current affairs, I thoroughly enjoy bringing you the latest news and trends that affect our daily lives.
