Lothian and Borders Police facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lothian and Borders Police |
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| Motto | Semper Vigilo |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1975 |
| Dissolved | 1 April 2013 |
| Superseding agency | Police Scotland |
| Annual budget | £207.3m (2007/2008) |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian, Scottish Borders, Scotland |
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| Map of Lothian and Borders Police's jurisdiction | |
| Size | 6,453 km² |
| Population | 920,164 (2007) |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Fettes, Edinburgh |
| Sworn members | 2,905 (2008) |
| Agency executive |
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| Divisions | 4 |
| Facilities | |
| Stations | 51 |
| Website | |
| www.lbp.police.uk | |
Lothian and Borders Police was a police force in Scotland. It looked after the areas of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders, and West Lothian. The force was active from 1975 until 2013. Its main office was in Fettes, Edinburgh.
The Lothian and Borders Police force was created on May 16, 1975. It was formed by joining three older police forces: the Berwick, Roxburgh and Selkirk Constabulary, Edinburgh City Police, and The Lothians and Peebles Constabulary.
By March 2008, the force had 2,905 police officers and 1,384 support staff. The last person in charge, called the Chief Constable, was David Strang. He took over in 2007.
In 2012, a new law was passed in Scotland. This law created one big police service for the whole country, called Police Scotland. On April 1, 2013, Lothian and Borders Police, along with seven other police forces in Scotland, became part of Police Scotland. The main office for Police Scotland is now at the Scottish Police College in Tulliallan, Fife.
Contents
Police Divisions: How the Force Was Organized
The Lothian and Borders Police area was very large. It stretched from Blackridge in the west to Newcastleton in the south. To manage this big area, the force was split into different sections called divisions. Some divisions covered specific areas, while others handled special jobs.
Territorial Divisions: Policing Specific Areas
These divisions were in charge of keeping the peace in different parts of the region.
A Division: Edinburgh's Police
This division covered the whole City of Edinburgh council area. It was formed in 2002. A Division was the largest part of the force, with the most officers and people to look after. Its main police station was St Leonards.
E Division: East and Midlothian
E Division was responsible for East Lothian and Midlothian. This area went from the Edinburgh City Bypass to Dunbar in the east. The main office for this division was in Dalkeith.
F Division: West Lothian's Force
F Division covered the area of West Lothian. Its headquarters were located in Livingston.
G Division: The Scottish Borders
G Division was the biggest territorial division in terms of land size. It covered the entire Scottish Borders region. This area was about twice as large as all the other divisions combined. It also bordered England to the south. G Division mostly covered countryside areas and smaller, spread-out towns. Its main office was in Hawick.
Non-Territorial Divisions: Specialized Police Teams
These divisions did not cover a specific area. Instead, they focused on special tasks and support roles for the entire police force.
C Division: Corporate Services
This division handled important tasks like talking to the public (Corporate Communications). It also worked on keeping communities safe (Safer Communities) and dealt with complaints.
H Division: People and Staff
H Division was in charge of all things related to the police staff. This included hiring new officers and managing their careers.
N Division: Justice Paperwork
This division was called the "Criminal Justice Administration Department." It managed all the paperwork and records for legal cases and court processes.
O Division: Special Operations
O Division provided special support to the police force. It included the Roads Policing Units, who dealt with traffic and road safety. They also had specialist teams for firearms and public order (like riot police). The force's Dog Handlers were also part of O Division. This division also ran the Force Communications Centre (FCC), which was like the main control room for police calls.
P Division: Training New Officers
This division was responsible for training new police officers and helping existing officers learn new skills. New officers learned at the Scottish Police College and also gained experience on the job.
S Division: Managing Money
S Division was responsible for managing all the money for the police force. They made sure the budget was used wisely.
X Division: Solving Crimes (CID)
X Division provided help with investigations across the entire force. This division was also known as the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). These were the detectives who investigated serious crimes and everyday crimes like housebreaking. They could be called in to help any other division when their special skills were needed.
Z Division: Central Support
Z Division was called the "Central Services Department." It handled general support services that helped the whole police force run smoothly.
Chief Constables: The Leaders of the Force
The Chief Constable was the top police officer in charge of Lothian and Borders Police. Here are the people who held this important role:
- 1975–1983: Sir John Henry Orr
- 1983–1996: Sir William Sutherland
- 1996–2002: Sir Roy Cameron
- 2002–2007: Paddy Tomkins
- 2007–2013: David Strang
See also
- Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland
- Fettesgate
- Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency
- Scottish Police College
- Lothian & Borders Police Pipe Band
- Police Scotland
