The number of bobbies on the beat in Scotland has plunged to its lowest level since 2008.
More than 300 Police Scotland officers on full-time equivalent contracts left the force in the first three months of this year - almost two per cent of force.
The Scottish Police Federation (SPF) said many of those leaving were cops who had delayed their retirement so they could continue to serve during the pandemic - a situation they claimed was "entirely foreseeable".
And the Lib Dems warned the reduction in police could cause rising violent crime levels to spike further.
Quarterly figures first published by 1919 magazine found police retiral rates were 70 per cent higher than normal – partly due to new pension arrangements.
David Hamilton, SPF chairman, said: "This was an entirely foreseeable situation and it’s frustrating to now see Police Scotland scrabbling around trying to keep the wheels on the bus.
"For years we have warned that officers would be looking to leave the service as soon as they could and now that they have the vehicle to do so, they are.”
He continued: "We are now watching centuries of experience leave the organisation both to the detriment of colleagues left in the service and to the public at large."
A Police Scotland spokesman: "Retirement rates, in addition to extra pressures caused by the coronavirus pandemic, have created significant challenge and we are working hard to address these issues and maintain effective policing for the public we serve.
"As a single national service, we are identifying resources and managing recruitment to provide support and stability to frontline policing.”
Liam McArthur, justice spokesman for the Scottish Lib Dems, said: "On Nicola Sturgeon's watch violent crime is on the rise yet the SNP are presiding over a decline in officer numbers.
"There are now fewer than at any time since 2008.
"Police officers and staff work tirelessly in a stressful job to keep our communities safe.
"They are being hampered by a lack of resources, the loss of valuable civilian expertise, a lack of mental health support and outdated IT systems.
"The Justice Secretary needs to set out a new plan of action for reducing violent crime and making sure that Police Scotland has the staff and equipment it needs to make that happen."
Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Greene said: "This shocking drop in the number of police officers exposes just how low a priority public safety is to the SNP Government.
"This consistent neglect of our police service has undoubtedly made our streets less safe, and now violent crime is at its highest in a decade.
"We already know that local authorities have been forced to cut officer numbers due to SNP funding cuts, while the SNP’s centralisation of the police has meant patrols are less noticeable since the forces were merged."
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Police officer numbers in Scotland remain significantly up from 2007, and are favourable relative to elsewhere in the UK with around 32 officers per 10,000 population in Scotland compared to around only 23 officers per 10,000 population in England and Wales.
"It is normal for officer numbers to fluctuate and the current figures continue to be affected by the coronavirus pandemic and use of the Police Scotland training college as a base for UK officers during COP26, which impacted the ability to recruit.
"Police Scotland has already recruited an intake of approximately 300 officers in April this year and intends to continue to recruit around 300 probationers each quarter throughout the remainder of 2022. Previously, a typical intake would have been around 180."
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