Brae police station to close

Stock image of a sign at a police station.

The Brae police station will close after just 10 people responded to a consultation.

Continuing costs to run the building, while so few officers use it, was the major concern for Police Scotland.

Superintendent Rob Shepherd said the last full-time officer based in the building had left in 2022.

“Over the last eight years, local policing officers have mostly deployed from Lerwick and continued to support and serve the surrounding areas,” he said.

Mr Shepherd said that, despite many feeling comfortable with a physical police presence, keeping the building open as a station was counter-productive for the force.

“Our presence in communities is not defined by buildings but by the officers and staff who work in the area,” he added.

“Operational police officers have not been stationed in these buildings for some time and they have continued to incur running costs and ongoing repairs and maintenance.”

The consultation on the future of Brae was opened on 6th March and concluded on 8th April.