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| Pitlochry | |||||
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The Pitlochry Section covers a huge area of Highland Perthshire. The officers based at Pitlochry, Aberfeldy and Kinloch Rannoch cover one of the most scenic areas of the country. With the high peaks by Loch Tay, the remoteness of Glen Tilt, the wilderness of Rannoch Moor and the ancient woods around Dunkeld there is little wonder that tourism is so important to the local economy. It is tourism in its various guises that provide a huge proportion of the workload of the team in this section. 
Pitlochry Police Station, Atholl Road (Click for map) Over 40 miles of A9 trunk road bisect the section. Sadly, accidents are all too common, particularly in the summer months and local officers invest many hours in patrolling the road, ensuring trouble free travel for thousands. As one of Britain's highest trunk roads, the A9 can be badly affected by snow during the winter months, and has in the past been closed for several days at a time. Travellers are asked to bear in mind that although the weather may not seem too bad when they are stopped at the snow gates at Blair Atholl, Drumochter Summit, nearly 20 miles north and over 1,000 feet higher can be experiencing Arctic conditions. A complete whiteout with snowdrifts 10 feet and more high is not uncommon while Blair Atholl may be bathed in sunshine. 
Aberfeldy Police Station, Kenmore Street (Click for map) Blair Atholl is also the venue of the Section's largest annual event, The Blair Atholl International Horse Trials, which attracts thousand of visitors each August. Of course many of the towns and villages hold their own Highland Games or Agricultural Shows and these are always well attended. A recent addition to the calendar has been the introduction of the Dewars World of Whisky Mini Tattoo at Aberfeldy - an event that attracts spectators from all over the world. 
Kinloch Rannoch Police Station, Bridge End (Click for map) Highland Perthshire is a particularly safe and friendly place to live and all officers in the section have an excellent working relationship with local elected representatives and partners in the numerous neighbourhood watch schemes, community councils and community safety panel.
Constable Scott Duffin is Community Crime Officer for the Aberfeldy beat which covers the entire area around Loch Tay, Glen Lyon and eastwards towards Strathtay and Grandtully. Scott is very well known in the area and has strong links with the local schools and the newly-formed Pub and Off-sales Watch in Aberfeldy. Considerable effort is being made by that group to promote a safe environment for sensible drinking whilst taking firm action against anyone behaving in an inappropriate manner, which could ultimately see him or her banned from all licensed premises in the area. Constable Kenny Jack has worked within the Pitlochry section for a considerable number of years and is presently the Community Crime Officer for the Kinloch Rannoch beat. The crime rates in this area are particularly low and Kenny is fortunate to work in one of the most scenic areas of Perth and Kinross, although its relative remoteness brings its own unique policing problems. Kenny routinely patrols the northern section of the A9 towards Drumochter summit which can be particularly arduous during the winter months. Constable Andrew Barron has recently been appointed as the Community Officer for the Dunkeld area and has set about making himself known to the local community. His beat includes many areas of significant wildlife importance and considerable work is undertaken in that area each year to protect the many vulnerable birds and other species living there. Your help in identifying anyone connected with wildlife crime would be very much appreciated. |
