Ian Murray MP Working Hard for Edinburgh South
Message from Community Safety Inspector, Euan Smith: Liberton/Gilmerton:•
April has seen a period of change/transition; however we appear to have addressed all of the initial teething problems that were not unexpected due to the launch of new localities model. Chief Inspector Mark Rennie retains his role as the Local Area Commander for the South of Edinburgh albeit his new remit has added responsibility for the command of the City Centre.
Housebreaking remains one of the Divisions key priorities and once again we have been very proactive in deterring/detecting those involved. Earlier in the month, three of our well known criminals were arrested following an early morning housebreaking. During the incident they attempted to evade arrest by throwing various items out of the window of their car at the following police vehicles.
This month we have been involved in Operation Monarda which was a week long campaign focussing on doorstep crime. This is always a relevant issue as those involved mainly target victims due to perceived vulnerability (Age/Gender/Disability), with many becoming repeat victims. Anecdotal evidence shows an individual’s quality of life deteriorates significantly after such incidents.
Over the past month our ward officers, PC Craig Cairns and Rebecca Wilson have been very busy. Their remit is wide ranging however their focus remains on community engagement, crime prevention and tackling antisocial behaviour.
Due to a number of anti-social behaviour related calls in the Blackford Glen Road area as well as Moredun and Southhouse/Burdiehouse park, they deployed on pedal cycles in an effort to deter those responsible. They also carried out a crime prevention and personal safety input at a local care home after receiving complaints regarding youths knocking on doors and asking for money which left residents feeling vulnerable.
Missing persons continue to place a significant demand on our daily resources. During April we dealt with 101 missing person reports, the majority of which came from our Young Person Centres and the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. PC Yocksan Bell is our Divisional Missing Person Co-ordinator and continues to work closely with NHS and Social Work partners to address areas of concerns/risk.
You are all aware of the vehicle accident leading the tragic death of Jill Pirrie on Thursday evening. A significant investigation was launched in the aftermath leading to the detention of four males in connection with the collision. The Crown and Procurator Fiscal Service have instructed that the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner to carry out an independent investigation of the circumstances. Our thoughts remain very much with Jill’s family and friends.
Your View Counts•
Finally, as you are aware Police Scotland consults with the public every year on what their priorities are for policing in their community.
In the past this has always been by hard copy consultation questionnaires which were distributed by police officers within the community they work.
This year Police Scotland’s consultation process is widening and becoming more flexible. The consultation process is moving online to a digital format and consultation will be open all year.
The public consultation is for individuals tell us what is important to them in their community. Having a say in the decision making process of Police Scotland is a vital tool for residents of Scotland to be able to shape the way their public services should operate.
This is the first time Police Scotland’s public consultation is being hosted on a digital platform. This allows us to reach a much wider audience than ever before ensuring that everyone can have their say.•
The survey will allow communities to tell the police what’s important to them – and to do so at a time which is convenient to anyone taking part as it is open all year round, around the clock.
I would encourage you to make your constituents aware of this new process which is available via the Police Scotland website and can be easily accessed using the following link:
I hope that you have found this update helpful and if you have any questions/queries please don’t hesitate to contact me.