Parking Levy could expose Scottish police to terror risks, says Federation

A new workplace parking tax could expose police officers to a greater risk of terrorism, The Scottish Police Federation has warned.

The Scottish Police Federation said if officers stopped driving to work it could endanger them as they made their way to and from shifts on foot or public transport.

Conference chair Andrea MacDonald told Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf that the Workplace Parking Levy could have a dramatic impact.

She said: “Our general secretary wrote to you recently about the workplace parking levy and highlighted the risks faced by officers and, specifically, the terror threat against them.

“To date we have not received a reply other than to advise that you had, inexplicably, passed this matter of police officer safety to the minister for transport, Michael Matheson.

“We wrote to you about a matter of safety for Scotland’s police officers. Either you value their safety or you do not.

“Imposing this parking levy does nothing to mitigate the risks police officers face, nor is it realistic to expect a desperately underfunded police service to bear that burden.

“I am concerned that the NHS gets an exemption and we don’t, considering how much of their work we do.”

Yousaf said he was ready to listen to the police calls for an exemption from WPL.

Andrea MacDonald joined Strathclyde Police in 1990 rising through the ranks from Police Constable to Inspector, working in various roles within the Glasgow and Lanarkshire areas and Force Headquarters.

During her career she undertook a BA in Policing Studies and a Master’s in Community Safety, becoming the first Police Officer in Scotland to achieve this academic qualification.