Chief Inspector Vinnie Fisher, local area commander for the Scottish Borders, gives us an update on policing matters in the region...

"It is with a degree of sadness that I write my final column as local area commander for the Scottish Borders.

"On October 30 I move to a new central role within the Lothian & Scottish Borders Division and Chief Inspector Stuart Fletcher, who like me, began his policing career in the Borders, will assume operational responsibility for the region.

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"Stuart has 25 years of experience and was recently the deputy local area commander for East Lothian.

"I started this role in November 2020, at the height of the pandemic, at a time when work was the only place I was allowed to go, when a mask was required if I left my desk, at a time of unprecedented demand as neighbour reported neighbour for ‘COVID breaches’ and when our own exceptional staff absences made the job all the more difficult.

"I thought then that surely that had to be it, that nothing else could be as challenging, but I, like many others, was wrong. Since then we have supported the policing of significant events on the world stage; COP26, the death of her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and more recently the UCI World Cycling  Championships.

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"Add to that a liberal and regular sprinkling of severe weather events, not least Storm Arwen, the return of our busy summer festivals seasons, the exodus of officers we saw as a consequence of recent pension reform, and now the pressures of the second major financial crisis I’ve seen in my 27 years of policing, one could be forgiven for thinking me jinxed.

"We rose together to meet and overcome all those challenges though, and we as a service, and you as a community, will continue to overcome whatever comes our way in the future.

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"It will not be easy though, and our former Chief Constable, Sir Iain Livingston, made it quite clear that the financial pressures we currently face will require tough conversations to be had and tough decisions to be made.

"That reality is no different for our new Chief Constable, Jo Farrell. Chief Constable Farrell has promised to prioritise trust, confidence, high performance, and officer and staff wellbeing and I look forward to supporting the delivery of those commitments within the division.

"It has been a genuine honour and privilege to serve the people of the Borders over the last three years. I have been consistently impressed by the pride you have in your heritage, the personal investment and interest you have in your communities and the way in which you all pull together in times of need.

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"I wish to thank our blue light partners, our local authority colleagues, particularly those in events and emergency planning with whom I have worked so very closely throughout, and to the many volunteers who protect and improve the lives of so many here in the Borders for all their support.

"I’d finally like to thank and pay tribute to my own team of officers and staff; those who miss so much time with their families and friends, who are exposed to dangers and unpleasant sights, who endure pressures, assaults, abuse and complaints and who witness behaviours the likes of which many of us live our lives in blissful ignorance. These are the people, who with the help of you Borders folk, keep everyone in the region safe.

"Thank you for having me."