Scottish ministers have promised to boost officer numbers

The newly-formed Scottish Police Service Authority said non-police officers could take witness statements or carry out door-to-door inquiries.

The Scottish Police Federation strongly disagreed, instead urging the government to deliver more officers.

Scottish ministers have backed what they described as the "civilianisation" of certain duties.

The comments came amid an inquiry by Holyrood's justice committee into the issue of police resources.

In robberies for example, I think we could get other investigators involved David Mulhern Scottish Police Service Authority

David Mulhern, chief executive of the Scottish Police Service Authority, told BBC Scotland that an expanded role for civilians could also include arranging ID parades.

"In robberies for example, I think we could get other investigators involved," he said. "Not necessarily that full range of police powers, but still very highly skilled, very highly trained in particular disciplines.

"All of those things could be done so much more effectively by someone other than police officers and would free up police officers to concentrate on the much more important criminal investigation matters."

Joe Grant, of the Scottish Police Federation, pressed the need to deliver the Scottish Government's pledge of 1,000 more police officers - which ministers have said would be made "available" through recruitment, retention and redeployment - while calling for a wider look at the role of the force.

'Genuine improvement'

Responding to Mr Mulhern's comments, he said: "Support staff do an important job, but the reality is that if there's a crime or an incident, you need the skills, experience and knowledge of someone who's been involved in policing then that's for a police officer to do.

"So I would disagree vehemently in that particular view."

A recent survey carried out by the federation, which represents the vast majority of police officers in Scotland, suggested that 82% of those who replied felt there were too few or far too few officers in their area.

Almost 40% felt the police provided an "average" service to the public, while 34.4% thought they provided a "poor" or "very poor" service, it also claimed.

A Scottish Government spokesman said the SNP administration wanted to see a "genuine improvement" in the delivery of policing.