Mr MacAskill was speaking to The Herald after threats from the Scottish Police Federation that politicians would “have blood on their hands” if they allowed officer numbers to fall and a claim by Bill McKinlay, the governor of Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow, that the days of jail riots would return.
His comments came as Finance Secretary John Swinney prepares to meet his political opponents today ahead of the beginning of the budget process at Holyrood.
Mr MacAskill said: “We live in difficult financial times, we have to recognise that, and the scale of the financial problems the Scottish Government now has to deal with means that no area of life is sacrosanct.
“Some, though, clearly are priorities and the police have always been a priority for the Scottish Government. That’s why we have not just record police funding, but also record police numbers.
“We’re not suggesting that it’s going to be easy but together those of us with statutory duties and particular powers, working with their communities, can make sure that Scotland remains a safe and indeed pleasant place to stay.”
The Scottish Police Federation has claimed that the murder rate would rise if police numbers dropped while Mr McKinlay fears trouble inside the country’s prisons if budgets are cut.
Mr MacAskill refused to describe this as scaremongering, saying: “I understand the legitimate concerns that people have. We are not in a position as a Government, until we see the comprehensive spending review, to say just what the extent of the cuts will be.
“But I do think that some of the figures that have been bandied around are extreme and we will see what comes in a few weeks’ time. As a Government we know that law and order has to be maintained as a priority and we will do what we can.”
Labour leader Iain Gray urged the Scottish Government to publish its spending plans immediately. He said: “John Swinney knows how much money is available, give or take a very small fraction of next year’s Budget.
LibDem finance spokesman Jeremy Purvis said: “The Government has published two forecasts on Scottish finances beyond 2020 so, six weeks on from the IBR (Independent Budget Review), the SNP Government has no excuse not to have published a detailed policy response.
