ABSTRACT
Historically, Scottish policing developed in relation to two important characteristics: concern for the public good and a close association with government at the local level. At the core of the traditional model of Scottish policing is an ever-present interaction with the local community in terms of public well-being, the welfare of the community and policing which always went beyond mere law enforcement. Social change has
transformed that community with the increased use of new technologies, higher levels of public education and awareness, increased expectations of public standards, and a greater element of multiculturalism. At the same time, from outside Scotland have come the influences first of a European context and, then, of globalisation. Scottish policing has sought to respond positively to these changes, but it is obvious that the necessary upheavals of continually adjusting over the years have placed exceptional pressures on the traditional model of Scottish policing to a point where its very survival may be in doubt.
