Dumfries and Galloway events in jeopardy over police support cuts

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Dozens of event organisers across Dumfries and Galloway have been told their policing resources are at risk following an internal Police Scotland review.

The new measures were announced in a letter from Superintendent Jim McMillan of Dumfries and Galloway Police Division.

The change means community volunteer-run galas, riding of the marches, shows, charity events and fundraisers – which the police have supported for years – could all be in jeopardy.

It outlines how community officers would be reduced, or withdrawn from some altogether, leaving organisations facing the added burden of funding costly safety and security at their events.

Other hurdles include securing road closures without police support and possible additional insurance costs.

In his letter, Mr McMillan states: “From 2025, I have instructed that all local events are appropriately risk assessed and that we step away from legacy roles and responsibilities.

“This will ultimately see a potential reduction or withdrawal of police officers at local events.

“I understand that this may cause you and your organising committees to seek alternative assistance, which will see increased cost to your event or even put the event at risk, which is regrettable.

“However, the current levels of support from Police Scotland are not sustainable.”

Each event will now be “risk assessed” and given a classification on whether police officers should be in attendance at the event.

Taken into consideration will be “the scale of the event, media interest, crowd demographic, and additional factors”.

These include “concerns regarding the organiser, venue or history of event” and “National Security threat level and implications for police reputation.”

Dumfriesshire MSP Oliver Mundell was “shocked” at the decision.

He said: “We need to see an urgent clarification that this policy will not proceed and an admission it is wrong to suggest community events are an appropriate area to cut resources.

“We cannot allow the increasingly central belt agenda of Police Scotland to destroy the valued community policing model that has long been the norm and expectation in this region.”

Mr Mundell said he was speaking on behalf of constituents and events organisers who had contacted him.

He added: “Like many locally, I was shocked and angry to find out this was even under consideration.

“This announcement, made without any proper consultation, comes as a hammer blow to many local organisations and volunteers who go above and beyond for their community.”

The MSP has raised the issue with First Minister John Swinney.

He has also written to Chief Constable Jo Farrell requesting an “urgent meeting” at which he will seek a rethink.

He stated: “The suggestion that police resources could be allocated in the future based on media interest is downright insulting to the many volunteers who give of their time to make these events happen.

“This to me again suggests a mismatch in values.

“Just because these events are smaller in scale does not make them any less important.”

Superintendent Jim McMillan said an “extremely busy event calendar in Dumfries and Galloway” had seen officers deployed to more than 100 events.

It was following that he commissioned a review of policing roles, responsibilities, and commitments at public events.

The aim, he said, was “to ensure that Police Scotland is delivering the highest standards of policing across all our local communities” and to provide “a consistent, measured and proportionate response”.

He told event organisers in the letter: “I have found on occasion, police officers have been deployed to local events where there is no associated risk.

“They are being expected to take ownership of areas of event safety, which should be the responsibility of the event organiser or contractor, such as traffic management, stewarding, first-aid, local communications, and decision
making.”

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