The police in Scotland
Police Scotland came into existence on the 1 April 2013. It is a single national police force and replaced eight regional forces.
The Scottish Government felt that one force would be more efficient and would tackle crime more effectively.
However, some critics believe Police Scotland is too big and links with local communities have been lost.
Scotland currently employs 16,600 police officers. This is the lowest count since 2008 and approximately 900 fewer than when Police Scotland was introduced as the national force. Additionally, around 140 police stations have shut down, leading to a reduction in community policing efforts. (Source: 大象传媒 News)