The police are consulting on plans to use their name and logo on officers uniforms and cars.
The proposal was unveiled yesterday as Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) launched a joint public consultation on their respective draft Gaelic Language Plans.
The force insisted that any rebranding would be carried out on a rolling basis to reduce costs.
But critics claimed the move would “take money away from areas where it is needed”.
The ideas were unveiled at the Royal National Mod in Oban, alongside officers wearing uniforms bearing English and Gaelic forms of Police Scotland, and a vehicle with the Gaelic version of the Police Scotland logo.
Gaelic Language Plans are a statutory requirement for all public bodies in Scotland.
Potential initiatives in both plans included the dual branding of the Police Scotland / Poileas Alba logo to feature on police uniforms, signage and police vehicles on a replacement cost neutral basis.
Other proposals include an increased number of corporate publications made available in Gaelic, the introduction of training opportunities for police officers and staff to learn Gaelic and dedicated Gaelic pages on Police Scotland and the SPA’s website.
Chief Superintendent Julian Innes, local policing commander for Highland and Islands Division, said: “As a public body Police Scotland has a legal obligation to develop a Gaelic Language Plan and we will do that in consultation with the communities we serve and the organisations who work with us.
“The consultation is open and accessible to anyone and I’d encourage those who would like a chance to contribute to do so by making contact with their views.”
Alasdair Allan, minister for languages, said: “As minister with responsibility for Gaelic, I am delighted to support the launch of this consultation. The Scottish Government is firmly committed to supporting all our indigenous languages, including Gaelic.”
However,
John Rosie, a veteran Thurso councillor who has frequently criticised Scottish Government spending on Gaelic, said: “This latest proposal appals me. The police have enough problems on their hands at the moment without adding to them.
“In Caithness and the north there’s no interest whatsoever in Gaelic. People don’t understand it and they don’t want to.
“What difference would this make to the policing of the area? It would just take money away from areas where it is needed.”