Scotland’s Chief Constable welcomed almost 190 new officers into policing and thanked them for their commitment to public service yesterday.
Sir Iain Livingstone QPM greeted 189 new recruits as they were sworn into the office of constable during a ceremony at Police Scotland Headquarters, Tulliallan.
Addressing the officers, Sir Iain underlined Police Scotland’s core values of integrity, fairness, respect and a commitment to upholding human rights, and emphasised the duties of the office of constable.
Sir Iain, who announced his intention to retire this week, said: “Policing is a hugely rewarding vocation in which officers help our fellow citizens every day, right across Scotland.
“Making the Declaration of Constable is a significant day in the lives and careers of those who join this vital public service.
“I thank everyone who makes that important commitment to work for the benefit of others and to keep people safe. I am also grateful to the families and loved ones who support them.”
Of the new recruits, three were previously members of police staff with Police Scotland while five served as special constables. A further five have served with the armed forces.
Applications to become a Police Scotland officer can be submitted at any time. There is no upper age limit for potential recruits, who must have a good level of fitness and be at least 17.5 years old at the time of applying. More information can be found on our website.
A successful campaign to reduce street drinking and disorder will be rolled out to more towns and cities across Scotland.
The “It’ll Cost You” campaign to deter adults buying alcohol for minors was developed by the Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership (SAIP), Police Scotland and Community Alcohol Partnerships. It ran throughout the summer of 2022 and was the first time the campaign had been delivered nationally.
The campaign was a mix of social and traditional media and direct consumer engagement in targeted areas across Scotland.
Asking an adult to buy alcohol for under 18s is one of the most common tactics used by young people to access alcohol. The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 states that it is an offence for a person to “act as an agent for a child in purchasing or attempting to purchase alcohol”. This is also known as proxy purchase.
An evaluation of the summer 2022 campaign showed it was an effective way to communicate the consequences of buying alcohol for minors and demonstrated the benefits of partnership working between retailers and Police Scotland.
Community Alcohol Partnerships will also utilise the campaign in areas where it operates in Scotland to help reduce alcohol harm among children and young people.
Superintendent Hilary Sloan, Police Scotland, said: “We welcome the evaluation report into last summer’s It’ll Cost You proxy purchasing campaign.
“Protecting vulnerable people is one of our top priorities and this includes protecting young people from the associated risks of alcohol. We know that vulnerability increases when alcohol is a factor and this vulnerability is heightened in young people.
“This campaign showcases the benefits of key partners working together and utilising each other’s resources to inform the public of dangers associated with underage drinking, as well as the criminal consequences for supplying those under 18 with alcohol. Proxy purchasing is an offence, which can result in a fine, a prison sentence, or both. Please do not risk it.
“I look forward to continued working with our partners to build on the campaign’s success in 2023”
Luke McGarty, Chair of the SAIP Campaigns Group and Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Scottish Grocers Federation said:“We welcome the publication of the evaluation report and the key learnings from delivering the “It’ll Cost You” campaign nationally for the first time.
“Reducing underage drinking and anti-social behaviour linked to alcohol is one we support and ties in with SGF’s position of promoting responsible community retailing. We will continue to work with the campaign going forward.”
Graham Clarke, Community Alcohol Partnership Advisor for Scotland, said: “Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP) was delighted to be a partner in the “It’ll Cost You” campaign and to support activity in each of our CAP areas.
“The campaign gave CAP an opportunity to carry the “It’ll Cost You” resources and messaging in local communities, highlighting the dangers of buying alcohol for young people. We worked closely with Police Scotland and the Police Scotland Youth Volunteers to make sure that this messaging was carried through all our engagement activity and look forward to supporting the campaign again in 2023.”
Community Safety Minister Elena Whitham MSP said: “The Scottish Government welcomed the publication of the evaluation report. We remain committed to protecting young persons and children from harm.
“Underage drinking can cause short and long-term harm to health and put young persons in dangerous situations when drunk. Purchasing alcohol for someone under 18 is a criminal offence, and we were pleased to support collective efforts to help reduce the attempted purchase of alcohol for those underage.
“The 2022 National campaign illustrated the value of strong collaboration and regular engagement between partners, which helped to deliver shared aims to help reduce underage drinking and anti-social behaviour as a key step to help keep communities safe.”
A copy of the Evaluation report can be found here.
NSPCC urges UK Government to seize last opportunity to strengthen Online Safety Bill so it creates online spaces for children safe from pervasive abuse
More than 3,100 child abuse image offences were recorded by Police in just five years, the NSPCC reveals as it calls for a more robust Online Safety Bill.
Last year, 662 crimes including the sharing and possession of indecent images of children were recorded by Police Scotland.1
The NSPCC warns that unregulated social media is fuelling online child sexual abuse and behind every offence could be multiple child victims who are continually revictimized as images are shared.
They said the issue of young people being groomed into sharing images of their own abuse is pervasive and tech bosses are failing to stop their sites being used by offenders to organise, commit and share child sexual abuse.
The charity is calling on the UK Government to give children, including victims of sexual abuse, a powerful voice and expert representation in future regulation by creating a statutory child safety advocate through the Online Safety Bill.
This would ensure that children’s experiences are front and centre of decision making, building safeguarding experience into regulation to prioritise child protection.
NSPCC analysis of data obtained by FOI from England and Wales police forces shows Snapchat is the social media site offenders most used to share child abuse images where platform data was provided. The app, popular with teens, was used in 43% of instances. Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, which are all owned by Meta, were used in a third (33%) of instances where a site was flagged.
And for the first-time virtual reality environments and Oculus headsets, used to explore the Metaverse, were found to be involved in recorded child sexual abuse image crimes.
The NSPCC said committing to a statutory child safety advocate is crucial to act as an early warning system to identify emerging child abuse risks and ensure they are on the radar of companies and the regulator Ofcom.
The advocate would reflect the experiences of young people and be a statutory counterbalance the power of the big tech lobby to help drive a corporate culture that focusses on preventing abuse.
Holly* called Childline in despair when she was 14.She said: “I am feeling sick with fear. I was talking with this guy online and trusted him. I sent him quite a lot of nude pictures of myself and now he is threatening to send them to my friends and family unless I send him more nudes or pay him.
“I reported it to Instagram, but they still haven’t got back. I don’t want to tell the police because my parents would then know what I did and would be so disappointed.”
Sir Peter Wanless, Chief Executive of the NSPCC, said:“These figures are alarming but reflect just the tip of the iceberg of what children are experiencing online.
“We hear from young people who feel powerless and let down as online sexual abuse risks becoming normalised for a generation of children.
“By creating a child safety advocate that stands up for children and families the UK Government can ensure the Online Safety Bill systemically prevents abuse.
“It would be inexcusable if in five years’ time we are still playing catch-up to pervasive abuse that has been allowed to proliferate on social media.”
Online Safety Bill amendments
The NSPCC is seeking amendments to the Online Safety Bill as it passes through the House of Lords to improve its response to child sexual abuse.
They are asking Lords to back the creation of a child safety advocate which would mirror statutory user advocacy arrangements that are effective across other regulated sectors.
The amendment would give Ofcom access to children’s voices and experiences in real time via an expert child safety advocate akin to Citizen’s Advice acting for energy and postal consumers.
And after the UK Government committed to holding senior managers liable if their products contribute to serious harm to children the charity says this must also include where sites put children at risk of sexual abuse.
The move would mean bosses responsible for child safety would be held criminally liable if their sites continue to expose children to preventable abuse – which is backed by an overwhelming majority of the public.
They said Meta will turn a blind eye to child abuse by making it impossible to identify grooming and the sharing of images making the importance of external bodies such as a child safety advocate even more paramount.
However, the charity said the Online Safety Bill should be seen as an opportunity to incentivise companies to invest in technological solutions to end-to-end encryption that protect adult privacy, the privacy of sexual abuse victims and keep children safe.
Road policing officers in Edinburgh are appealing for information following a crash on the A90 at Cramond Bridge.
Around 2.55pm on Monday, 20 February, 2023 police were called to the collision involving a red Ford Focus and a blue Fiat Panda.
The 78-year-old male driver and 71-year-old female passenger of the Fiat were taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh by ambulance. The 55-year-old male driver of the Ford was not injured.
The road was closed while crash investigations were carried out and fully reopened around 7pm.
Offers are appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time and saw what happened to get in touch. Anyone with relevant dash cam footage is also asked to contact us.
If you have any information call 101 quoting reference 2037 of 20 February, 2023.
The 18-year-old, who can be named as Lewis McCartney, was found with serious injuries on Viewcraig Street around 3.45am on Sunday, 12 February. He was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh but died a short time later.
A 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death. He is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today (Wednesday, 15 February).
Detective Inspector George Calder, of the Major Investigation Team, said: “Our thoughts are very much with Lewis’ family and friends. They’ve asked their privacy be respected at this very difficult time.
“I would like to thank the public for their assistance with our investigations.”
Around 3.45am yesterday (Sunday, 12 February, 2023) police were called to a report of an 18-year-old man found injured in Viewcraig Street, in the Dumbiedykes area.
Emergency services attended and he was taken by ambulance to Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where he died a short time later.
A 19-year-old has been arrested in connection with the death and the investigation continues.
Detective Inspector George Calder, of the Major Investigation Team, said: “Our thoughts and are very much with the young man’s family and friends at this very difficult time.
“We have a dedicated team of officers working on this investigation and extensive enquiries are ongoing at this time. I would ask anyone who was in Viewcraig Street and the surrounding area, in the early hours of Sunday morning, and who may have seen or heard a disturbance, or witnessed anything suspicious, to please get in touch with us.
“I am also keen to speak to anyone with any CCTV, dashcam or any other footage that they think would assist the enquiry. We will have a continued police presence in the area and anyone with any concerns can approach these officers”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting reference 0752 of 12 February, 2023. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.
A boy who called 999 for his unconscious mother when he was just two years old is among members of the public, police officers and police staff recognised in the Chief Constable’s Bravery and Excellence Awards.
Hanlon Stevenson (got to be a Hibs fan? – Ed.) called emergency services after mum Lisa became unwell at their home in Stirling. Hanlon told call handlers, “Mummy is sleeping and I can’t wake her”, and ambulance staff attended to treat Lisa.
Others recognised in Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone’s Bravery and Excellence Awards include officers who arrested a violent man who was brandishing knives in East Kilbride; constables who rescued a man from a burning flat in Dundee; and the logistics team who supported Police Scotland’s operation for COP26.
A team driving a public health approach to policing in the Greater Glasgow Division was particularly highlighted for their excellence during a ceremony at Police Scotland Headquarters, Tulliallan, yesterday (Friday, 10 February, 2023).
Sir Iain said: “Policing is a relentless but hugely rewarding vocation in which you can help people and change lives for the better.
“These awards illustrate the bravery and professionalism demonstrated by police officers and staff right across Scotland every day. I am grateful for their commitment to public service and dedication to duty.
“Equally, effective policing is enabled and enhanced by our bond with the public and the trust and support of our communities. It is a privilege to recognise the bravery of our fellow citizens who stepped forward with courage when need arose.
“The opportunity to welcome nominees, recipients and their families to Headquarters and offer my personal thanks, regards and congratulations is a pleasure.”
Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans, said: “These awards recognise the outstanding bravery of members of the public as well as police officers and staff committed to keeping us safe.
“All of the nominees deserve our gratitude but especially little Hanlon who contacted the emergency services when his mum became ill – a truly heart-warming example of individual bravery.
“I would like to personally commend each and every one of the nominees for going above and beyond what could be reasonably expected, in order to help others. Their collective acts epitomise and signify the very best values of modern policing and of wider society and demonstrate selflessness when faced with incredibly challenging and dangerous situations.”
Kerry McMahon-White, Head of Partnerships at Police Mutual, who sponsor the awards, said: “Police Mutual is very proud to again be supporting the Chief Constable’s Bravery and Excellence Awards.
“To each nominee, your achievements are extraordinary. You are an inspiration and a credit to the service and I, and all my colleagues at Police Mutual, would like to offer our thanks to those who are nominated as well as congratulations to the winners.”
Not all winners have chosen to be named – those who wish to be named are:
Bravery and Meritorious Awards
Allan MacKay (member of the public)
Constable Andrew Inglis
Constable Clanmorris David Thompson
Constable Derrick McCracken
Constable Euan MacLeod
Constable Gary Drewett
Constable Fraser Van-Dal
Constable Iain O’Donnell
Constable Jonathon Wilkin
Constable Lee Brown
Constable Oliver Siddall
Constable Sharon Bradbury
Fraser Ritchie (member of the public)
Gavin Parker (member of the public)
Hanlon Stevenson (member of the public)
Jonathon and Christopher Easton (members of the public)
Robert Smale (member of the public)
Sergeant John Hampton
Special Constable Stephen Booth
Excellence Awards
Excellence – Greatest Contribution to Policing Priorities
Road Policing officers are continuing enquiries following a fatal road crash on Haymarket Terrace.
A 79-year-old man died in the collision. He can be named as Allan Moir from Edinburgh. Mr Moir’s family has made the following statement:
“We would like to thank the police, paramedics and members of the public who tried to save our beloved Dad and Grandad. As a family, we ask for privacy at this difficult time.”
Officers are appealing to anyone who may have information regarding this incident to contact them via 101, quoting incident 2828 of 4 February, 2023.
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a man was found seriously injured in the Granton Mains East area.
Around 7.35pm on Friday, 3 February, 2023, a 40-year-old man was found seriously injured and was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.
Detective Sergeant Will Dickson, of Corstorphine CID, said: “Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of this incident. We believe someone assisted the injured man and we would urge that person to contact police.
“Anyone who may have witnessed what happened or has any information that may assist our investigation should contact police via 101, quoting incident number 3368 of 3 February. Alternatively, details can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
The Security Industry Authority (SIA), the regulator for the private security industry, ran a safety resilience exercise at the Shanghai Club in Edinburgh’s George Street on Sunday.
The SIA organised the exercise in partnership with Police Scotland counter-terrorism officers, Scottish Ambulance Service and City of Edinburgh Council.
The training event at Shanghai Club confronted security staff with a series of real-time simulations, involving volunteer actors, of possible emergency scenarios. These included an attack with a bladed weapon, an acid attack, a suspect package and a marauding terrorist attack taking place outside the club.
Security teams from Edinburgh and the surrounding area were in attendance to observe.
Ronnie Megaughin, the SIA’s Head of Compliance and Inspections, said: “These realistic scenarios are an excellent method for training security operatives and gives them an ideal opportunity to put their training to use.
“Security operatives may be the first people on the scene in an incident. Yesterday’s staged terror incidents enabled security operatives to take part and deal with the scenario, and then receive an instant debrief from counter-terror experts.
“We know from experience that operatives, and their managers, really appreciate what they learn from these events and find them worth their while. Any of these security staff could find themselves as the first responder at a serious incident, and this exercise could literally be the difference between life and death.”
John Sandlin, SIA Senior Manager Compliance and Inspections, said: “The main aim of exercises like this is to increase public safety in the night-time economy by working with venues and security staff.
“It’s also to showcase best practice by putting the Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) security e-learning package, which we’ve been recommending to all SIA-licensed operatives, into practice. We’re really pleased with the commitment that all the security staff put into the exercise at the Shanghai Club.”
This emergency planning exercise at the Shanghai Club continues a programme of similar exercises and follows on from events in Chesterfield, London, Glasgow and Leicester.
