The Lothian and Borders Police is the territorial police force that covers 6,453 square kilometres of land area that comprises the four Scottish council areas of the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian. The force is responsible for securing and protecting the lives of 920,164 people who are residing and visiting the country. Along with this, the environment, the animals and wildlife are one of the force's responsibilities as well.
The Lothian and Borders Police Force was created on May 16 1975 on the merger of Berwick, Roxburgh and Selkirk Constabulary, Edinburgh City Police and The Lothian's and Peebles Constabulary. It was one of the Police Forces that wasn't changed when a restructure of the local government of Scotland occured in 1996.
As of today, the Lothian and Borders Police has a total of 2,905 officers 51 stations with the leadership of the its Chief Constable, David Strang. Aside from its council areas, the force is divided into four specific division namely: A Division, E Division, F Division and G Division.
The Four Divisions
Aside from the separate districts where officers are assigned, the divisions are split into policing areas so that Officers from each division can respond to calls from the public in their area although they can be called on to attend in other areas if necessary. This goes the same when it comes to investigating crime, addressing serious police records and huge matters, Officers from the four divisions work closely and in unity with the local organisations and communities to prevent crime and build a safer region more effectively.
The A Division is was created in 2002 and is in charged of the City of Edinburgh and is headquarters is in St. Leonard's Police station. The E Division covers the area of East Lothian, and Midlothian whereas F Division lies on the West of Edinburgh and covers from the City boundaries to Fauldhouse in the west. Last but not the least, the G Division is the largest division that is responsible for the Scottish Borders. This is a predominantly rural area featuring rolling country side and isolated population areas. The headquarters is based in Hawick.
Policing of The Lothian and Borders Police Force
Like any other dedicated public service, the Lothian and Borders Police aims to pull through successful and effective policing programs and priorities. By facing matters locally, nationally and globally, the force believes that peace and order starts from the small communities before it becomes world wide. Along with this, their priorities are split into two groups, Operational and Organisational.
The Operational aspect focuses on violence, drugs, public protection, terrorism, anti-social behaviour, serious and organised crime groups. On the other hand, the Organisational aspect deals with public satisfaction with service delivery and maximising capacity in a challenging economic environment.
Other than preventing crime and addressing serious legal matters, the Lothian and Borders Police also gives back to the community by helping raise awareness to the youth through school visits, community policing and local projects.
