police boxes continued to play an important role in police work until the late 1960s to early 1970s, when they were phased out following the introduction of personal radios. as the main functions of the boxes were superseded by the rise of portable telecommunications devices like the walkie-talkie and the near universal access by the public to telephones and the 999 emergency number, very few police boxes remain in britain today. some have been converted into high street coffee bars. these are common in edinburgh, though the city also has dozens that remain untouched — most in various states of disrepair. edinburgh's boxes are relatively large, and are of a rectangular plan, with a design by ebenezer james macrae, who was inspired by the city's abundance of neoclassical architecture. at their peak there were 86 scattered around the city. in 2012, lothian and borders police sold a further 22, leaving them owning 20.