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

I’d like to start this week’s column off by sharing some extremely sad news in relation to the loss of one of our officers.

On Friday, April 21, we were informed that PC Sean Wright had taken ill at his home in Galashiels and was taken to Borders General Hospital, where, tragically, he passed away later that evening.

Sean was a much loved and respected officer within Galashiels and made a significant contribution to policing here in the Borders, particularly in support of the TD1 Youth Club.

His loss is a profound one and our deepest sympathies remain with his loved ones, his friends and, of course all of his policing colleagues, who we will continue to support at this very difficult time.

I personally believe that one of the most impressive traits our police officers and staff show on a daily basis is their resilience and professionalism in the face of adversity and, despite the unexpected and heart-breaking loss of a member of our policing family, uniformed and CID officers have continued to work tirelessly to keep communities within the Borders safe.

Operation Jabiru, an operation of proactive intelligence gathering and enforcement action to tackle a wide range of offences, continues and since its inception in October 2022, tens of thousands of pounds worth of drugs, cash and items believed to have been obtained via proceeds of crime have been seized.

Finally, I’d like to give our farming communities notification of a crime trend that we have seen occurring within the neighbouring regions of East Lothian and Northumbria.

In recent weeks, there have been multiple reports of thefts of GPS tracking equipment from agricultural vehicles and indeed, this seems to be an issue being experienced by farm premises across the country.

Where possible, please secure the vehicles and systems in lockable buildings, mark them up to make them distinctive and ensure you have their relevant details, such as serial numbers written down so these can be passed to police in the event they are stolen.

In addition, and if possible, install an alarm system where quads are kept and don’t leave keys in or near your vehicles.

Secure the building they are stored in whenever they are not in use and install trackers.

We also recommend installing good quality lighting, CCTV alarms and anchors our wall-mounted ground weights.

Please report any suspicious activity around rural premises to police immediately.