Galashiels Police Station to increase opening hours
30 November
Galashiels Police Station is to increase its opening times by an extra day as part of the force’s attempt to improve community services.
It comes after a service review by Lothian and Borders Police identified a need to change staff resources and front counter opening times.
Galashiels, which is part of ‘G’ Division, plans to open on a Saturday between 9am-5pm in addition to its opening times of 7am-11pm Monday-Friday.
According to the police, the increase in hours reflects community demand.
David Strang, Chief Constable, said that many stations across Lothian and Borders will have to reduce their times because their costs are outweighing their demand.
However, he added: “It is also the case, that as a result of looking at station front counter opening hours, we will be extending the opening hours in some locations to reflect that demand profile and so provide a better service to the local area.”
Furthermore, the division intends to:
- Focus on the deployment of the community contact vehicle to take account of changes to front counter hours.
- Use the increase in CBOs across the Division (from six to 18 over recent years) to provide a visible presence in any communities affected.
- Use the internet micro-site to detail local activity and provide up to date information and contact opportunities.
A spokesperson for Lothian and Borders Police added that no operational police stations will be closed and officers will continue to work from stations as they currently do.
The spokesperson said: “We recently measured how often communities use police station front counters across the force.
“In some cases quiet front counters will be open for less hours; however at our busier stations, opening hours will increase.”
To view all the changes which have been proposed, click here.
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