Police numbers have reached record levels, the Scottish Government said today.
Police numbers have reached record levels, the Scottish Government said today.
There were 16,339 police officers in Scotland at the end of June, an increase of 118 on the first quarter of the year.
It compares with 16,265 in June last year just after the SNP Government came into power, a rise of 74. The Government said the figure was a record.
The Nationalists made a commitment to introduce 1000 extra officers.
Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill said today: "This welcome increase in the number of officers is in part the result of our direct recruitment of new officers, over and above the recruitment plans of our police forces."
The rise today includes 32 more officers in Lothian and Borders and 68 more in Strathclyde.
Mr MacAskill added that 150 officers were recruited and paid for by the Scottish Government last year, with another 450 to be funded by ministers this year over and above individual forces' recruitment plans.
"We inherited the lowest recruitment since devolution, with many officers due to retire," he added.
"We've tackled that challenge head on, and although these latest figures are reassuring, there remains much work to be done.
"But we are confident that the resources and policies now in place will deliver improved policing for Scotland."
The commitment to 1,000 extra police was part of a deal to secure Tory support in last year's budget, with ministers initially saying that the additional numbers could be secured through retention and redeployment, as well as recruitment.
"Our continued role is to press the Scottish Government to meet its promises," Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken said today.
"Today's news is a step in the right direction.
"It must ensure that recruitment levels outstrip retirements from the force so that overall numbers can continue to grow.
"But without Scottish Conservative pressure and insistence there would be no prospect of 1,000 more police, no new national drugs strategy and no accelerated tax cuts for Scotland's smallest businesses."
Information obtained from Parliament in May and released by Labour showed that there were 16,221 police officers in Scotland in March, compared with 16,265 last June.
The Nationalists hit back at the time with their own figures showing that the headcount of police had gone up, although this included part-time officers.
