Lothian and Borders Police

Lothian and Borders Police
Agencyname	Lothian and Borders Police
Formedyear	1975
Preceding1	Berwickshire Constabulary
Preceding2	City of Edinburgh Police
Preceding3	East Lothian Constabulary
Preceding4	Midlothian Constabulary
Preceding5	Peeblesshire Constabulary
Preceding6	West Lothian Constabulary
Dissolved	2013
Superseding	Police Scotland
Country	Scotland
Subdivtype	Council areas
Subdivname	City of Edinburgh Council, East Lothian Council, Midlothian Council, West Lothian Council, Scottish Borders Council
Overviewbody	Scottish Parliament
Headquarters	Edinburgh
Sworn	approx. 3,800 (2013)
Chief1name	Chief Constable Sir Euan MacNeill?

Lothian and Borders Police was the territorial police force covering the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian and the Scottish Borders from 1975 until its 2013 merger into Police Scotland. The force provided local policing, specialist crime investigation, public order and road traffic enforcement across urban and rural jurisdictions including historic sites such as Edinburgh Castle, transportation hubs like Edinburgh Airport and borders adjacent to Northumberland. Lothian and Borders Police worked with devolved institutions including the Scottish Parliament, prosecutorial bodies such as the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and UK-wide agencies including the National Crime Agency.

History

Formed during regional reorganisation alongside councils like Lothian Regional Council and Borders Regional Council, the force succeeded legacy constabularies such as Berwickshire Constabulary and municipal forces including the City of Edinburgh Police in the 1970s. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s it responded to incidents tied to movements and events involving groups referenced in coverage by outlets like the BBC and legal processes in the High Court of Justiciary. In the 2000s it adapted to threats highlighted after events such as the 2007 Glasgow Airport attack and worked with investigatory units associated with the Serious Organised Crime Agency predecessor bodies. Debates in the Scottish Parliament and reviews similar to those leading to the creation of Police Scotland culminated in a 2013 restructuring that merged this force with others including Strathclyde Police and Grampian Police.

Organisation and structure

The force was led by a chief constable accountable to a police authority composed of elected and appointed representatives from councils like City of Edinburgh Council and oversight by national institutions such as the Scottish Government. It was organised into divisions aligned with council boundaries—Edinburgh division, West Lothian division, Midlothian division, East Lothian division and Borders division—each commanded by senior officers promoted via systems tied to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) frameworks then in use. Specialist departments included CID units linked to prosecutions by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, public protection teams interacting with agencies like Social Work Scotland and road policing units collaborating with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Collaboration agreements existed with neighbouring English forces such as Northumbria Police and national bodies including the National Police Improvement Agency in overlapping cross-border operations.

Operations and responsibilities

Day-to-day duties included patrol policing across urban centres like Leith and suburban areas such as Musselburgh, countering organised crime networks investigated alongside the National Crime Agency, and managing public order at events like the Edinburgh Festival and matches involving clubs such as Heart of Midlothian F.C. and Hibernian F.C.. Specialist responses covered firearms incidents coordinated with tactical advisers from UK-wide protocols used by forces after inquiries like those following the Dunblane massacre, as well as major incident responses at transport locations including Waverley railway station and Edinburgh Airport. The force also undertook initiatives on road safety on routes such as the A1 road and provided community policing in partnership with local authorities and third-sector bodies like Samaritans chapters.

Equipment and vehicles

Operational equipment mirrored UK policing norms of the period: marked and unmarked patrol cars based on models used widely by forces including Vauxhall and Ford, traffic motorcycles for High Road Units, and incident command vehicles for major events such as those staged during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Protective kit and less‑lethal options were issued in line with guidance from bodies such as the College of Policing successor frameworks, and forensic capabilities developed alongside scientific partners like the Forensic Science Service and laboratory facilities that supported investigations heard in courts like the Crown Court. Communication interoperability was maintained with regional control rooms and with neighbouring services such as Lothian Buses planners for event coordination.

Notable cases and incidents

High-profile investigations included responses to serious organised crime syndicates prosecuted via the High Court of Justiciary and multi‑agency operations involving the National Crime Agency and HM Revenue and Customs. The force investigated homicides and major incidents that drew scrutiny in national media outlets including the BBC and The Scotsman, and managed public order policing at contentious protests involving groups covered by reporting in The Herald (Glasgow). Incidents at cultural events such as the Edinburgh Festival and sporting fixtures involving Rangers F.C. rivals required major policing plans and resulted in inquests and legal proceedings in Scottish courts.

Accountability and oversight

Accountability mechanisms included oversight by the local police authority composed of councillors from City of Edinburgh Council and partner councils, inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland, and scrutiny in the Scottish Parliament through debates and ministerial questions. Complaints processes referenced procedures operated by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and policing standards reviewed in light of reports from bodies such as the Independent Police Complaints Commission prior to devolved replacements. The transition into Police Scotland followed reviews and legislation debated in the Scottish Parliament to centralise oversight and harmonise standards across Scottish policing.

Category:Police forces of Scotland Category:Defunct organisations based in Edinburgh