Police officers will exchange old stations for 'Community Touch-Points' in libraries, supermarkets and shopping centers as part of a radical commotion of the Force, has been unveiled.
Under the greatest recasting since the founding of Police Scotland in 2013, front line officers will be located in 'Implementation Hubs', either in existing police agencies that have been renovated or in out-of-city warehouse units.
While they are employed, officers will be deployed to 'touch points' in operations or drop-ins in community centers, offices in town halls or other public buildings, or even dedicated shopping buildings.
The changes are set out in the Master Plan of Police Scotland, which is described how it will deal with its aging buildings.
Last night, Scottish Conservative Justice spokesperson Liam Kerr said: 'This also signals a death bell for community police.
'Savage and persistent SNP cuts mean that the idea that people have easy access to their local police will disappear completely.
Under the biggest recasting since the founding of Police Scotland in 2013, police officers could be set to exchange old stations for 'Community Touch-Points'
'Implementment Hubs' may be based on the police in old stations that have been modeled or in warehouse units outside the city
“Stations are part of the structure of our communities and are an important memory of the visible presence of the police in local areas.”
But assistant head commissioner Mark Sutherland argued that restructuring the estate would actually improve access to the public to police services.
He said: 'The traditional sandstone police stations in the Hoofdstraat may no longer exist, but the police who have worked in those buildings will definitely still exist.
“And although we can move to a hub outside the city, communities absolutely still have access to police services via various contact points.”
Mr. Sutherland added: 'People nowadays deal with the police in a different way nowadays. More people use online services and talk to our contact centers by telephone. Physical footstep in police stations keeps falling … moving forward, it is visible where the audience is already. '
Under the new model, front line – officers – and CID detectives – will start their services and end their services at the implementation hubs, which have lockers, rest rooms, computers, briefing rooms and parking for police vehicles.
While they are employed, officers will be deployed to become 'touch points' in operations or drop-ins in community centers, offices in town halls or other public buildings, or even dedicated store at the store
Officers go to 'Touch-Points' where the public can report crimes, and investigators can interview witnesses.
Mr. Sutherland said that restructuring will also benefit staff. He said that a police officer can “be difficult and traumatic” and “the better our employees are about their environment and to work, the better the service they offer to the public.”
The plan is expected to cost around £ 500 million, some of which can be increased by selling the current buildings of the Force. It will start to be implemented next year.
The Scottish government said 'despite unprecedented challenges for public finances' his draft budget for 2025-26' includes a record £ 1.62 billion for the police. “
