New police office at Larbert officially opened
Friday, 15th January 2010
The new police office serving communities across the Denny and Stenhousemuir Sub Area Command has been officially opened.
Councillor George Matchett QPM, convener of Central Scotland Joint Police Board, unveiled a plaque at the new-build police station which is located at the Central Business Park, Larbert.
The building was completed at a cost £1.8 million and took eight months to complete from works commencing in April 2009. The building replaces two police offices in Denny and Stenhousemuir which were no longer fit for the purpose of policing in the modern era. The new two-storey police office at Larbert and a community police office in Denny town centre are part of ongoing regeneration work in the area led by Falkirk Council.
As well as being the new home for operational response and community officers, the force's Public Protection Unit and Dog Section are also based at Larbert, which is close to the motorway network as well as the site of the new hospital for Forth Valley.
Chief Constable Kevin Smith said: "To have a project of this scale and complexity open for business and ready to serve the local community on time and on budget is a great achievement. I am firmly of the view that this new facility, combined with our Denny town centre community police office, is a significant new asset to the local community from where officers can continue to deliver effective policing to the public."
Councillor Matchett said: "Community policing is a real driving force for the Joint Police Board and effective delivery of police services for the public is a focus for all elected members. Central Scotland Joint Police Board is delighted to see the opening of this high quality new police station which now matches the high standard of policing people expect in the communities of this sub area command."
Chief Inspector Bob Beaton, Denny and Stenhousemuir Sub Area Commander, said: "Everyone is delighted with the new police office and we are getting on with the job in hand, which is tackling crime, keeping the community safe and providing highly-visible policing across the area.
"The town centre police office in Denny will provide a base for community officers to operate from and the fact that we have been able to provide uninterrupted policing to the community during the period of construction and handover is good news for the public."
The unveiling of the plaque was carried out in front of an audience of police officers and staff from the sub area command; officers and staff involved in the project; staff from Hadden Construction who were responsible for the construction; members of the Force Executive; partners from Falkirk Council, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and NHS Forth Valley; community councillors and local authority elected representatives.
