A new report highlighted that people increasingly take the view that there has been a decline in police patrols in Ayrshire.
The report from the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey showed the percentages of Scots in each police division who agreed with statements about police presence in their area.
In Ayrshire, 57 per cent of people believed there was not enough police presence in the local area from 2016 to 2018.
Police Scotland was created in 2013, at which point 49 per cent of Ayrshire respondents were aware of police patrolling the area by car.
The number of constables on frontline duties has reduced since Police Scotland’s creation, now only 33 per cent of Ayrshire residents stating that they are aware of police car patrolling.
A further 53 per cent of respondents said that they were not aware of Ayrshire police patrolling the local the area.
Since the Scottish Government merged the local police forces, Ayrshire residents have noticed fewer police officers in the streets.
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