Police officers giving evidence to the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry have described being deliberately targeted by offenders who bit, spat and coughed at them, in some cases claiming to have the virus and expressing a wish to infect officers and their families. The accounts, gathered as part of the inquiry's "Let's Be Heard" project, also describe officers being sent out to enforce lockdown restrictions and restrain violent individuals without adequate personal protective equipment, and being left angry at not being prioritised for vaccination despite the risks they faced.

The claims form part of a wider tranche of more than 12,500 personal testimonies collected by the inquiry, chaired by Lord Brailsford, with 36 officers contributing accounts specifically on policing during the pandemic. Officers said PPE was "non-existent" in the early stages and slow to arrive, which some attributed to Police Scotland's limited pandemic preparations, while others voiced fury at being "deprioritised" for vaccines compared with other essential workers, describing feeling "disgusted", "forgotten" and "betrayed". The Scottish Government said it recognised the pressures faced by police and other frontline workers during the pandemic and was grateful for their dedication.