The SNP MP for the East End, John Mason, has welcomed the latest figures on police officer numbers, which show that the Strathclyde force has enjoyed a surge in numbers since the first three months of 2008.
The new official statistics show that the number of officers in the Strathclyde Police area has gone up from 7,619 in the quarter ending in March 2008 to 7,955 for the three months ending on 31 December – an increase of 339 officers.
Speaking earlier today, Mr Mason, said:
“People in all of the communities that I represent will be delighted to hear that Strathclyde Police now has 339 more policemen and women on the streets than it did in March. After all, a visible police presence is important in terms of reducing crime and providing reassurance to the public.
“Wherever I go in the East End, people tell me that they feel reassured when they see police officers in their street, and that’s why recruiting extra officers is so important.
“When the last quarterly figures were published, I said that I thought there was even better news ahead in terms of police numbers. I’m happy to have been proved right, and I hope that the next recruitment statistics continue this positive trend.”