Police Scotland chief constable retires as police services are facing unsustainable cuts

Commenting on the retirement of Police Scotland’s chief constable Sir Iain Livingstone, UNISON police staff branch secretary Michelle Brewster said:

“It is not a surprise that Police Scotland’s chief constable Sir Iain Livingstone is retiring earlier than expected. Police services are facing unsustainable Scottish government cuts, which will set policing back years. I found Sir Iain Livingstone to be honest and genuine and he understood the vital role of police staff in fighting crime and keeping our communities safe.

I would like to wish him all the best in his retirement and thank him for fostering a strong relationship with UNISON. We didn’t always agree but he was determined that we should all work for the good of the communities we serve. We expect the new police chief to follow in his footsteps and to sit down with a new First Minister to set policing on to a more positive way forward.”

Note for editors
UNISON is the union for police staff.
UNISON is the Scotland’s largest union. Our 150,000 members work across public services – in local government, the NHS, education, police service, energy and water. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.