Furious serving police officers have put their careers on the line to openly back a petition calling Police Scotland to be scrapped.
A member of police staff from Aberdeen was among at least a dozen force employees who risked signing the petition.
And former officers from north and north-east Scotland have also added their names to the document, which catalogues a list of grievances with the single force.
One signatory living in the Highlands branded Police Scotland an “utter shambles”, while a former Grampian officer said he would “hand on heart” still be working for the force if it had not been amalgamated.
The Change.org petition, set up by James Montgomery, has had more than 1,300 signatures in the past two weeks.
At least a dozen petitioners say they are serving officers and give their full names, despite the risk of facing disciplinary action.
At least four of the names match those of police officers currently serving with the national force.
The Scottish Government insisted the single force “continues to perform excellently”.
But a current Police Scotland worker from Aberdeen said: “The single force is not working. Many of my colleagues are losing their jobs and those that are left are doing the work of four or five. It wasn’t thought out correctly and rushed through.”
Another former officer in the Granite City added: “I left Grampian Police before the amalgamation as I could see the writing on the wall.
“Having worked in other industries before and since I can hand on heart say had they not created one force I would still be in the job now.”
An ex-Lothian and Borders employee now living in the Highlands branded the force “disgraceful” and an “utter shambles”.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “Despite the challenges of implementing the most significant public sector reform in Scotland since devolution – which was backed by cross-party support across the Scottish Parliament – policing continues to perform excellently supported by the 1,000 extra officers we have delivered.”
