THE number of female rookie cops in Scotland has plummeted in the last three years, it has emerged.
The number of probationers who are women nosedived this year to just 181 from a total of 581 new recruits, a drop of 31 per cent from 287 from 624 recruits in 2021.
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It comes as the number of full-time bobbies in Scotland hit its lowest since 2007 with Police Scotland having just 16,207 frontline officers, a drop of 329 in a year — despite top brass getting £1.55billion to aid recruitment.
The figure is the lowest since March 2007 when records began. And it is more than 1,200 down on the 17,496 officers in 2013 when the national force was set up.
A police insider said: “It’s no surprise that women want to run a mile at the thought of joining the force, there’s been so much negativity in recent years.
“The police are meant to be a reflection of what a good society looks like and the way things are now there’s a lot of work to be done.”
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The Scottish Police Federation has pointed to several factors for the dramatic reduction in female staff including the horrific exploits of disgraced Met Police officer Wayne Couzens.
The sex beast – a then-serving gun cop – hit the headlines in 2021 after raping and murdering 33-year-old Sarah Everard.
General Secretary David Kennedy said: “It is no surprise that given what has been published in the media regarding the police service that candidates have concerns in deciding to join.
“The police service has to enhance pay, flexibility and its profile to the public if it’s going to be the employer of choice.”
Police Scotland has vowed to create a safe space for female staff and has introduced steps to encourage females to join the ranks.
A force spokesperson said: “Police Scotland continues to work towards creating an inclusive and fair working environment that is free from discrimination, misogyny, and sexism.
“We have women leading at every level in Police Scotland and we continue to take proactive steps to recruit more women.
“There have also been additional changes such as providing gender-specific body armour, better support for flexible working, new grievance procedures and ensuring selection panels reflect our diversity.
“We continue to review and assess our policies and procedures to guarantee we are an inclusive, anti-discriminatory and a fair organisation for all.
“The police officer job is unique and we look to recruit people who live and work by our values of integrity, fairness and respect and have a commitment to public service.”
However, the Scottish Conservatives has slammed the government and insisted more can be done to support rookie cops.
Deputy justice spokesperson Sharon Dowey MSP said: “SNP ministers who have presided over the lowest officer numbers since 2007 must stop their cuts to police budgets if this trend is to be reversed.
“If Police Scotland don’t have the resources at their disposal, then that will only make it harder for them to ensure roles within the force are attractive to female applicants.”
The Scottish Government said: “The recruitment and deployment of officers are matters for the Chief Constable.
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“We look to Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority to ensure that our police service is diverse with a workforce reflective of the communities it serves.
“Record police funding of £1.55 billion this year – an increase of £92.7 million – means Police Scotland will take on more recruits this year than at any time since 2013.”
