Scotland's frontline police officers are buying their own uniforms as the standard issue kit is ‘ill-fitting’ and of ‘poor quality’, a new report has found.
A review by HM inspectors has found that trousers lack stretch and fade quickly, ‘inadequate’ jackets leave officers exposed to rain, fleeces are ‘too thin’ and tear, and torches do not have enough battery life or brightness.
Rank-and-file officers also reported that armoured vests are ‘too bulky’ and ‘ride up’ while travelling, while footwear looked ‘unprofessional’.
This has, according to the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland, led to the practice of officers buying their own kit becoming ‘normalised’.
Police Scotland has now been urged to improve the standard of kit provided after inspectors found that ‘frontline officers and staff did not have access to uniforms that meet the same standards of quality as those provided to specialist or senior roles’.
