North-east police chiefs have been praised for clawing their way back from a shortage of cops, a situation worsened by the pandemic.
Chief Superintendent George Macdonald has confirmed his Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray ranks are still light of around 30 full-time equivalent officers.
That is despite 55 signing up to join in recent months.
But the north-east divisional commander said police numbers were “probably the healthiest” they have been for years.
The north-east has benefitted most from recent national staffing drives – taking on 14 more probationer than Police Scotland’s second biggest recruiter, Glasgow.
Coronavirus training woes worsened north-east police numbers
Ch Supt Macdonald said: “We have not been immune from the challenges of effectively redesigning our recruitment and training process because of the pandemic.
“But our focus was very much on ensuring we continue to recruit and we have suspended other forms of training in order to basically maximise our space within our training college to ensure we keep recruits coming through.
“The recent recruitment number, 35 to the north-east, is the highest number of allocating probationers to any division in Scotland in this intake, so that indicates the support from the organisation to ensure we have good people on our streets.”
The police commander said he hoped their next intakes in December – and through the spring – would help reduce the staffing deficit “as best as possible”.
He told city councillors: “I have to say, where we sit today is probably the healthiest position we have had for a number of years.
“I know members have raised concerns about what was referred to as ‘brain drain’- people coming to north-east for a couple of years and then moving elsewhere.
“Members should be reassured that all recruits we now attract are – my term – locally-grown talent who want to be in the north-east and are from here.
“Both locally and nationally, we are oversubscribed in relation to people wanting to come into the organisation, which is a very positive position to be in.
“Perhaps the experience over the last 12-18 months with individuals in different sectors has opened their eyes up to the stability and variety that public sector careers offer.”
The recruitment efforts were praised by all councillors and said to be “very reassuring” by public protection convener Jennifer Stewart, with the chief superintendent even ask to share the secret to the success with other other struggling public employers, including the council.
North-east police numbers diminished since 2013 merger
However, concerns were raised about the depleting number of police officers and staff the north-east division is entitled to have.
The 30 full-time equivalent officers that the area is currently short of is measured against an authorised figure of 1,103.
But Councillor Martin Greig pressed for answers on how the rank and file were coping – given that number is around a third lower than it was 10 years ago.
Since then, the former Grampian Police was merged into a single Scottish force.
The Liberal Democrat, once convener of the former Grampian police board, said: “It is 10 years ago but we have seen a third fewer police officers in the north-east – it is the same geographical area – and maybe a quarter less staff.
“I just think it would be useful to have an understanding to appreciate our current staffing and officer numbers to have that longer-term view and also to find out whether those specialised facilities are being provided from the centre, which would perhaps substitute for that reduction.”
Ch Supt Macdonald said comparing the legacy Grampian force to the pooled resource of Police Scotland – which sees many specialist resources shared across the county – “is difficult” – but agreed to bring back detail of staffing since 2012.