Monday marked the start of a new era as the single Police Service of Scotland gets to work.
The former eight police forces have been consigned to the past but policing in Tayside and Fife continues unabated with the creation of Tayside Division and Fife Division.
Tayside now has four policing areas Angus, Dundee North, Dundee South, and Perth and Kinross with four chief inspectors in charge. Gordon Milne will be at the helm in Angus, Shaun McKillop will take on Dundee South, with Conrad Trickett in Dundee North and Mike Whitford leading Perth and Kinross.
The policing areas comprise 12 local sections, headed by local inspectors, and these are made up of 28 ward areas.
Chief Superintendent Hamish Macpherson, in command of Tayside Division, praised his officers and staff for the work undertaken.
“Through the years the Tayside public has expected very high standards from its police service, and I am proud that the officers and staff of Tayside Police have consistently delivered in accordance with those expectations throughout the 37 years-plus of Tayside Police’s existence,” he said.
“They all deserve great credit for their continued high standards of performance in support and protection of the public, while at the same time assisting with the greatest transition in the history of our service.
“The process of change will continue apace, but it is testament to them that the baton will be passed from old to new without any impact on our service delivery.
“It is a new day and a new dawn for the Police Service of Scotland and for every one of our officers and staff. But the reality is that I do not anticipate that people will notice any obvious difference where they live and work.
“The community officers that were there on March 31 will still be there today. They will still be available to them where they live and we would encourage residents to take time to speak with them, particularly if they have any issues or concerns.
“Community policing and keeping people safe remain our priority.”
Chief Superintendent Garry McEwan of the new Fife Division previously gave the assurance that community policing would be preserved. He said: “The community policing ethos that has been here in Fife for a number of years will continue.
“There is no suggestion at all that any officers, community or otherwise, will be taken away. I can provide reassurance that it will be business as usual in Fife. Performance has been improving year on year and for me that’s not going to change.”
The new single police service will mean local divisions, such as Tayside and Fife, are able to draw on greater resources and specialist services more readily than before.
Despite promises the new force will ultimately lead to greater information and intelligence sharing, concerns have been raised over lack of compatibility among existing IT systems.
Police chiefs admit “work still needs to be done” to address the IT needs of the single service but insist the transition to a single force will not be hampered.