Police Pride Storm! Controversy as force pays 25 officers to join Scots gay pride march - despite cutting back on fighting crime

Dozens of police officers were paid to take part in a Pride parade through Scotland’s biggest city despite the force slashing resources and cutting back on fighting crime.

Last week it was revealed that uniformed officers were being urged to represent the overstretched force at the LGBTI event in exchange for either pay or a day off in lieu.

While their colleagues were on duty at the parade to ensure order was maintained, police chiefs requested that other officers join in to show support for the marchers.

The event was deemed a ‘community engagement opportunity’, with top brass declaring officers could attend on full pay as a result.

Around 25 uniformed officers took part in the march through Glasgow, wearing special LGBT rainbow epaulettes, and flanked by a marked car and van draped in Pride flags.

The group, which included some senior officers, would have accrued around £5,000 in wage costs.

The move comes after Police Scotland abandoned investigating some minor crimes as it battles a financial black hole which has seen officer numbers plummet to their lowest level for 16 years.

David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents officers up to and including the rank of Chief Inspector, said: ‘We are fully supportive of Pride.

‘However, the issue here is about resourcing, as well as the fact that it potentially sets a precedent about what events Police Scotland may, or may not, support in this manner.

‘It’s about the principle of paying people to go to events, when police are now not attending some low-level crimes due to resourcing.

‘The usual approach if someone wished to attend an event would be for them to do it on their day off, or to take a day’s leave.

‘The police service is absolutely stretched. They are not answering routine calls. The priority must be to make sure frontline resources are kept to a maximum level.’

Calum Steele, former general secretary of the SPF, said after the policy was revealed: ‘Moving to a situation where officers are paid to march is an astonishing development and has to raise questions over the effective use of resources.’

Cathy Larkman, a police officer for more than 30 years, and now the national policing lead for the Women’s Rights Network, also criticised the push to have police involved in ‘political’ parades.

The policy was unveiled in an internal Police Scotland memo by Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs, revealed last week by our sister paper the Scottish Daily Mail.

The memo calls for officers to sign up to represent the force at the Pride event in Glasgow, as well as upcoming events in West Lothian, Oban and Stirling.

Sent to divisional commanders, the memo promises officers a ‘shift change or a day back will be provided for those participating in line with regulations’.

Mr Mairs’s memo said it was ‘recognised that this is a community engagement opportunity, therefore participation will be considered a duty day’.

The ACC said he would be ‘grateful’ if the contents of the memo could be brought to the attention of ‘all officers/ staff under your control’.

It follows strong criticism of the single force after it decided to no longer investigate some ‘minor’ crimes as part of a new ‘proportionate response’ policy amid a major financial squeeze under the SNP Government.

The new policy also comes after Scotland’s most senior officer was accused of ‘virtue-signalling nonsense’ when she apologised for enforcing laws which ‘criminalised love’.

Chief Constable Jo Farrell said in May she was sorry for ‘recent and historical injustices’ suffered by ‘lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and intersex’ people.

Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said: ‘We are responsible for policing a diverse community and one of our great strengths is that our officers and staff are drawn from different backgrounds and experiences.

‘We value the relationship we have with all diverse groups and it is important Police Scotland is represented at events such as these.

‘Participation was considered by line managers to ensure there is no impact on operational policing.’

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