Research by the Scottish Conservatives has found that the number of Special Constables in Edinburgh has more than halved since 2014 (Division E).
The figures, from a Freedom of Information request by Maurice Corry MSP, show that since 2014, 64 officers have been lost, with numbers down from 108 in 2014 to 44 in 2018.
This appears to be the result of a failure to recruit new Special Constables which have also been falling dramatically from 44 in 2013 to only 14 in 2017.
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs said: “Police Constables have an integral role in the policing of our streets, deterring crime and interacting with communities.
“SNP Ministers have been in charge of Police Scotland throughout this period and not taken any action to stop the decline of Special Constables. It is extremely worrying that the number of Police Constables on our streets has been allowed to dwindle to such an extent.
“SNP Ministers must take action to reverse the trend of continually declining numbers of Special Constables.”
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