Police are still due overtime payments from working the Commonwealth Games as force morale plunges, a Fife whistleblower has revealed.
More than six months on from Glasgow 2014, which saw police deployed to cover shooting events in Angus, many officers are yet to receive any form of remuneration.
A Fife officer, who asked not to be named, has now lifted the lid on the lack of overtime payments and wider morale issues which he claims are hitting the force.
“There’s been non-payments, or if it’s coming, it’s coming in dribs and drabs,” he said.
“My worry is when there are any major events like this, will this be their fall-back position, will they refuse to pay it?
“When it’s raised it’s like a ‘suck it up’ attitude. I have had enough.
“What’s going on is affecting a lot of the guys, it is affecting morale.”
The whistleblower, who has many years’ service under his belt, said the six months wait had left a nasty taste in his mouth.
“We all keep hearing how successful the games were, and there we were doing long hours, making it work, doing things at the drop of a hat because that is what we, as police officers, do.
“And we’d probably do it all again but pay me what’s due me. It has taken the sheen off it.”
The whistleblower added: “You try your best and do your job, it is a slap in the face to still not have been paid.”
He claimed some officers are still owed hundreds of pounds, and others were given some money sporadically.
“It is really not acceptable to have worked all those hours when you have put your life on hold to cover something like this you expect to be treated right.
“I really feel it is bullying tactics.”
Chief Superintendent Garry McEwan admitted there were still some outstanding claims to be paid.
“All claims that have been made have been paid in line with police regulations,” he said.
“However, there are still some outstanding claims that are currently in the process of being checked for accuracy to ensure they are correct and fit regulations.
“These are being processed as quickly as possible.”
Mr McEwan said there had been “close and healthy” dialogue between some of his staff and the Police Federation to ensure all claims were being handled in line with regulations.
But the whistleblower said the lack of payment was the latest in a string of blows to hit Police Scotland.
“No one knows how bad it is there are a lot of bad practices,” he said.
“I have never seen morale so low there is now some dissent when we are being asked to do things merely for statistics for example stop and searches are still being pushed heavily.
“I became an officer to help the people of Fife and I feel I am not being allowed the chance to do that. People aren’t statistics, they are human beings.”
y“There is a huge amount of stress and pressure put on them and everyone is living in fear, no one is willing to say something out of place but that is not good enough,” he said.
“People need to be held accountable.”
Urging the officer to contact him directly to discuss his concerns, Mr McEwan said latest figure show crime levels were falling and detection rates were at an all time high.
The Scottish Police Federation said: “We are working with the force to resolve outstanding issues as quickly as possible and there is a shared agreement that all officers will be compensated in accordance with the regulations.”