First in a new three-part series on the Scottish police. This episode tells the story of the origins of the lowest-ranking cop - the constable - a role which dates back some 400 years.
In this second episode, The Detectives, a look at the evolution of police detective work, from its early beginnings in the 19th century to landmark cases of the 21st. The testimony is often moving and gives a real insight into what it takes to be a detective. Many recall dealing with the emotional baggage that comes with the job. From crime scenes to unsolved cases, the pain is often etched on their faces as they relive the moments that had the biggest impact on their careers and lives. Some of those moments lie within two of the most famous cases in Scottish police history, the 'World's End Murders' of two 17-year-old girls, Helen Scott and Christine Eadie, in 1977, and the murders of young schoolchildren by Robert Black in the 1980s.
The final episode in the series - Law and Order - looks at policing in times of social change, from 18th-century mob rule and the miners' strike of the 1980s to the violent G8 protests in 2005. At times of social unrest, the police often find themselves on the front line of the struggle. This film sees officers dealing with political protest, illegal drugs, mass disorder and gang warfare throughout Scotland's history.