THE leader of the body responsible for financing Scotland's largest police force has warned that the Scottish government's target of recruiting almost 1000 new community officers across the country is unlikely to be met unless it makes up a multi-million pound pensions shortfall.
Councillor Paul Rooney, convener of the Strathclyde Joint Police Board, warned the force's aim of recruiting 942 new community officers will be severely restricted by the deficit, which is predicted to rise to £24.1 million between 2009 and 2010.
He claimed the Scottish government has not done enough to restart talks between the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos) and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) aimed at resolving the issue before next year's budget is set.
Rooney described it as the "single biggest threat" facing the funding of the force and accused the government of rejecting responsibility for the "serious financial crisis" which the seven other forces in Scotland also face.
He said: "Despite repeated attempts to get an assurance from the Scottish government that police boards will not be burdened with financial costs of the changes, we have received no such assurances."
Rooney and Acpos back the introduction of a centralised police pensions pot based on the English and Welsh model.
He said the current system is a "mess" and that the shortfall across Scotland is expected to reach £51m by 2010 and local authorities are refusing to divert funds from other areas to help fill it.
He added: "Over the past 10 months, what we have seen is a series of meetings which have failed abysmally to address any of the issues or concerns. We face having to seriously dilute our recruitment efforts because the government is failing to address the pensions crisis in front of them."
Sources within the board dismissed the discussions so far as a "waste of time and effort" and added that "the clock is ticking" before the budget deadline.
Doug Cross, chairman of the Acpos financial management business area, said: "The Scottish government are monitoring the new arrangements put in place in England and Wales, and looking at whether it would be appropriate."
A government spokesman said its spending was at record levels and it has pledged to recruit an additional 1000 officers by 2011, but that, under an agreement signed last year, it would not interfere with the running of police services.
However, he added the issue would be "kept under review".
