Police Scotland has launched public consultations to gather the views of the local community on proposals to dispose of three police stations in East Lothian and relocate officers to larger, existing stations within the area.
Following a review of operational buildings, North Berwick, Dunbar and Prestonpans are all being proposed for closure with officers being transferred to alternative East Lothian stations.
Prestonpans police station has not been used since the start of 2023, with local officers working from Tranent, which is two miles away.
Under the proposals the small number of officers currently based at North Berwick and Dunbar would relocate to Haddington which is approximately ten miles away.
East Lothian Area Commander Chief Inspector Ben Leathes said: “We’ve been reviewing the buildings we have across Lothian and Borders Division and how we use them. We considered where we would want to locate our people to be as effective and efficient as possible. This work has allowed us to identify buildings which we believe are no longer required.
“Our community policing team in Prestonpans relocated to Tranent police station over a year ago and they have continued to support the local community.
“The changes proposed to North Berwick and Dunbar are in line with our policing plan that has been in place for the last ten years. Under that plan, if any member of the public contacts the police in North Berwick or Dunbar, it is actually our response officers based in Haddington who respond to those incidents.
“With investment in our fleet and digital device technology our officers are now fully mobile. Officers will continue to remain actively present in the community throughout their entire shifts, ensuring your safety and maintaining a strong, visible police presence.
“If our proposals go ahead, there would be no change to the delivery of policing services and there would be no changes to the local policing teams. We are committed to remaining within the area and continuing to provide a service to East Lothian.
“I understand and I am sensitive to community concerns around changes involving police buildings however our policing service is not defined by our buildings, but by our actions within the communities we serve and work with. Anyone wishing to talk to an officer can visit a police station or call 101 (999 in an emergency).
“I would urge the public and stakeholders to engage with our consultation process and comment and feedback via our Engagement Hub. The deadline to provide feedback is Friday, 20 September, 2024. We are absolutely committed to listening to the wider views so we can shape the delivery of policing across East Lothian.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
