The number of police officers in the north and north-east has remained relatively static over the past three months.
Quarterly figures released yesterday showed there were 1,806 officers in the three divisions covering Grampian and the Highlands and Islands at the end of September, compared to 1,800 on June 30.
Across Scotland, the number of officers fell slightly over the three month period, from 17,318 to 17,267.
The total still meets the Scottish Government pledge for 1,000 more officers than were employed at the end of March 2007, beating the target by 33.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: “Recorded crime is at a 39-year low, while this government is continuing to deliver on our commitment to put 1,000 additional police officers in communities. We have met this commitment in every quarter since 2011.
“We have always said that police numbers will fluctuate and this publication shows we are continuing to exceed the target while keeping costs down.”
However, papers presented to yesterday’s Scottish Parliament justice committee showed that support staff numbers have fallen by 2,056 since 2010.
Scottish Conservative justice spokeswoman Margaret Mitchell said: “The number of support workers has been reduced heavily and the role of licensing officers and legal document staff de-skilled,” she said.
“This in turn will have led to officers being brought off the frontline in order to fill backroom posts and to take on more administrative tasks.
“In all, it has led to a real balance problem within the force, and there’s no question in order for a policeman or woman to do their job properly, they need the adequate support behind them.”