Chief Superintendent Mark Williams has outlined proposed changes to two key areas of police work:- the hours that police stations are open are to be reduced, and the police will no longer employ traffic wardens. Instead this will be left entirely up to the council in future.
Police Scotland is proposing a modernised and more effective way of operating public counter services across the Capital.
The proposals, which follow a national a review, have been made following careful analysis of the level of use of public counter services in the Division.
The current proposals affecting Edinburgh, which are still subject to staff consultation, recognise the reduction in the use of public counter services at several stations across the division, and propose changes to opening times in line with demand.
Chief Superintendent Mark Williams, Divisional Commander for the City of Edinburgh, said:-Â “Police Scotland is committed to providing a service that reflects and responds to the demands of the communities we serve. We are also committed to protecting front line police numbers and are doing everything we can to be as efficient as possible in a challenging financial climate.
“The methods by which we engage with the public are constantly changing and the public’s dependency on a front counter service has changed significantly.
“The proposals being outlined are the result of a detailed demand analysis from all stations across the city and are based on how often the public actually utilise their local police station.
“Our research has suggested that changes to opening times and a greater reliance on shared services will ensure that front line police officers can continue to provide a more effective and visible local policing service.
“Rest assured, our commitment to keeping people safe remains paramount. The public can contact us via the non-emergency ‘101’ number; mobile police offices, local community police surgeries and on the various Twitter accounts utilised by officers across the Capital.”
As well as considering public counter opening hours, the Police Scotland review also looked at traffic warden provision, leading to a proposal that traffic warden services are withdrawn across the country, with local authorities taking on the responsibility for enforcing parking legislation. This, again, is subject to staff consultation.
Chief Superintendent Williams added:-“Parking has been ‘de-criminalised’ within Edinburgh for a number of years and there is no longer a requirement for dedicated enforcement activity to be carried out by the police. We will continue to respond to complaints of obstruction and dangerous parking.
“It is vital that we make sure we are delivering a consistent and professional service and that we are targeting our resources to priority issues in order to keep people safe.”
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