Far lower crime, more police officers, enough to help Northern Ireland three times yet Scotland apparently needs hundreds more?

From STV News, two days a go, the above and:

Whether it’s policing high profile football games, or demonstrations between pro and anti-immigration groups, Police Scotland’s officers are feeling the strain. The most senior police chief in the country, Chief Constable Jo Farrell, is calling on the Scottish Government to provide millions of pounds in additional funding. She has said this can hopefully bring in at least 350 new officers.

“What we’ve seen across the lifetime of the organisation is a change in relation to crime”, she said. “Growing crime trends, particularly around violence against women and girls.” https://news.stv.tv/scotland/chief-constable-calls-for-millions-in-funding-to-recruit-350-new-officers

Cheshire-born Farrell, came to Police Scotland from running Northumbria police.

The overall crime rate in Scotland is 57 per 100 0001 and in Northumbria, it’s a shocking 94 per 100 0002, pushing twice as high.

Despite that, Police Scotland has significantly more officers – 296 per 100 0003 compared to 260 per 100 000 in Northumbria4.

Domestic abuse rates? 11.7 per 1 000 in Scotland5 and 29 per 1 0006 in Northumbria, pushing three times the rate.

Finally, As Police Scotland sends officers to help in Northern Ireland for the third time, how the Scottish Government has made them ‘formidable’ and the only UK force able to help with such ‘uncommon’ demands: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/09/29/as-police-scotland-send-officers-to-help-in-northern-ireland-for-the-third-time-how-the-scottish-government-has-made-them-formidable-and-the-only-uk-force-able-to-help-with-such-uncommon/

Sources:

  1. https://www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2025-26/pages/total-recorded-crime/
  2. https://crimerate.co.uk/northumbria-police
  3. https://www.gov.scot/publications/police-officer-quarterly-strength-statistics-31-march-2026/
  4. https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN00634%2FSN00634.pdf
  5. https://www.gov.scot/publications/domestic-abuse-statistics-recorded-police-scotland-2024-25/pages/incidents-of-domestic-abuse/
  6. https://www.northumbria.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/force-content/northumbria/accounts/2025-26/chief-constable-for-northumbria-statements-of-account-2025-26-subject-to-audit.pdf

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One thought on “Far lower crime, more police officers, enough to help Northern Ireland three times yet Scotland apparently needs hundreds more?”

  1. Police Scotland need to be ready for the influx of unionists when Ireland is unified. Most formerly unionist Northern Irish especially the business class will relish joining the EU etc. The dissenting minority will transfer to Scotland with all that entails. Used as they have been throughout history to disrupt…in this case the Scottish independence vote. Police Scotland are training in advance

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