New deputy police chief vows to keep up the good work

Steve Allen, 46, began his new role as Deputy Chief Constable, Scotland's second-largest force.

The father of two takes on the new role after serving with the Metropolitan Police since 2003.

Yesterday also marked the first time that Lothian and Borders Police has appointed a woman, Chief Superintendent Gill Imery, as territorial commander.

Mr Allen said that one challenge they faced was to continue the achievements of their predecessors.

He said: "In the last 12 months, crime across Lothian and Borders has come down by 6.5 per cent, which means that 3,500 people haven't become victims of crime who otherwise would have.

"The detection rate is climbing. With housebreaking, we're seeing nearly a 20 per cent improvement on this time last year." He added that the force seized more than 750,000 worth of illegal drugs in December 2009, compared with just over 180,000 in December of the previous year.

Mr Allen, former commander of the City of Westminster, said addressing the widening role of officers at a time when resources were under pressure was the biggest challenge.

He said: "When you look at what is required of policing, it's the things that have always been required: keeping communities safe, holding offenders to account and getting there quickly when people are in trouble.

"The agenda is broadened by the need to be ever more vigilant in relation to security and the terrorist threat.

"More and more, quite rightly, the public demand that we involve ourselves and are effective in relation to antisocial behaviour. In amongst all of that is a very strong desire not just to respond to crime when it happens, but to do everything that we can to be part of work that prevents crime happening in the first place."

Mr Allen succeeds Tom Halpin, who retired in August.

Chief Supt Imery, 44, yesterday took charge of A Division, which covers the Edinburgh area.