Warnings over SNP’s ‘lawless’ Scotland as police chiefs say they may have to prioritise serious crime amid funding crisis

Police Scotland has warned it may have to focus on emergency calls unless ministers address a projected £110 million funding gap. The force says this would mean longer waits for non-emergency contact and less capacity for crime prevention, community policing and early intervention.

The Scottish Police Authority has warned that more than 1,200 officers and staff could be lost, while the force says a pay and recruitment freeze would save about £43 million but still leave the shortfall. In 2025-26, officers attended more than 230,000 mental health-related incidents, almost a fifth of all incidents; the force says responding to them required the equivalent of 481 full-time officers. It also reports rising domestic abuse crimes and growing demands from cyber threats, protests and hostile states.