Backlash as police officers in Scotland 'encouraged not to arrest people'

The Scottish Police Federation said the capacity is ‘no longer there’, but Police Scotland denied the claims

Crime in Scotland rose 10% in 2025/26 while custody arrests fell by more than 15,000, sparking a public row between senior officers over whether the justice system itself has quietly dismantled policing's power to arrest.

Police Scotland faces fresh scrutiny after a union chief claims officers are being encouraged not to arrest people as custody suites close and arrest numbers fall.

The SPF warned Scotland's national constabulary does not have the "capacity" to arrest the amount of people it used to.