Police Scotland saving almost £80k by axing window cleaners as politicians hit out at chiefs
STRAPPED cop chiefs are saving £78,000 by axing their window cleaners.
Panes on the force’s 349 buildings face a build-up of grime as bosses free up cash to help protect officer numbers.
But the move has sparked fresh claims of funding shortfalls from Holyrood.
Lib Dem justice spokesman Liam McArthur said: “People will be dismayed that the force budget is so stretched they have to compromise on grimy windows to afford enough officers.
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“Ministers need to make sure Police Scotland has the funds it needs to keep offices in reasonable conditions and communities safe.”
Tory Liam Kerr added: “It’s no surprise the police have had to resort to this level of cost-cutting under the SNP government.
“It may be windows today, but it won’t be long before police are forced to make cuts to the frontline unless things change.”
Contracts for internal and external window cleaning were ceased from April 1.
It’s part of a bid to slash “non-pay” costs, currently around £143million a year.
The force overspent its £1.08billion budget by £35.6million in 2018/19.
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A £25.6million deficit is expected in 2019/20.
A police spokesman said: “We spend 12.5 per cent of our revenue budget on non-pay compared to a UK average of 22 per cent.”
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf’s spokesman says resource allocation and prioritisation is “for the Chief Constable and Scottish Police Authority to determine”.
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