More than 60 jobs are set to go in the next round of cuts to civilian police staff, The Courier can reveal.
The proposed changes to the Police Scotland structure affect analysts, statisticians and researchers including those who investigate terrorism.
There are currently 275 staff across Scotland in these roles but the new structure has only 214 positions a 22% reduction.
It would also lead to 30 jobs, including some in Dundee, moving to the Scottish Crime Campus outside Glasgow, by January.
Affected staff were informed last week and are currently in a 45-day consultation period.
Trade union UNISON Police StaffScotland is planning to fight the changes.
Branch secretary George McIrvine said: “The centralisation agenda of the Scottish Government has already seen up to 1,400 out of 7,000 experienced and loyal civilian police staff go throughout Scotland.
“We do not agree to the structurespresented. We view this as an opportunity to cost cut rather than provide a best value for the public purse.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said police numbers were at record levels due to the SNP administration.
However, Scottish Labour’s justice spokesman Graeme Pearson said the cuts could lead to more police officers having to do civilian jobs.
He said: “Removing these posts doesn’t mean the work goes away so who is left to do it? My concern is that this means more police officers being taken off the beat to do civilian jobs and that’s just not on.
“Kenny MacAskill trumpets increasing numbers of police officers but in the real world he’s creating a culture of backroom bobbies and the people of Scotlanddeserve better.”
Scottish Conservative justice spokeswoman Margaret Mitchell said there were already too many “frontline officers taking on backroom jobs”.
She added: “We need guaranteespolicemen and women won’t be moved from the streets to behind a desk to fill the shortage.”
The Government spokesman said how officers were deployed was a matter for Police Scotland and highlighted the cost savings of now operating a single police force.
She added: “Reform is about reducing duplication and the need for separate functions across the former eight force areas, doing things differently and more effectively and generating value for the public purse.”
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said cuts to civilian staff in other areas couldfollow.