EXCLUSIVE OFFICERS' UNION DEMANDS

MORE COPS GET TO CARRY GUNS

- BY NORMAN SILVESTER

REASSURANCE Armed police, such as these Scottish Police Federation armed policing units, are now accompanied by paramedics Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire Jack/Corbis/Getty

(Jane Barlow/PA Wire Jack/Corbis/Getty)

ARMED police deployments have soared by five times in the last 10 years, sparking fears over “violent” Scotland.

Shock figures obtained by the Daily Record show there were 119 “armed deployments" by firearms officers in the year from April 2024 to March 2025.

There were 91 the previous year and 23 in 2015-16.

The body that represents frontline cops blamed the growing menace of guns and knives on Scottish streets for the rise.

It wants to see more officers authorised to carry firearms and is calling for Police Scotland to adopt a system used in Norway, where cops can quickly access guns from cars in their area.

David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said: “Society is more violent and getting more violent.

“If a police officer is turning up to an incident involving a knife or a bladed weapon then an armed response vehicle or firearm should be sent for their safety and that may be reflected in the figures.

“Knife crime in cities in Scotland, particularly in the east and west, is big. Firearms are becoming troublesome as well.