Tag: antisocial behaviour

Stay safe advice for festive revellers

Revellers visiting Edinburgh city centre this weekend are being urged to make plans to ensure they get home safely at the end of their evening. With the Christmas party season now well underway, police expect there to be a high number of people visiting the city centre for a night out with work colleagues and friends.

As part of Operation Astrodome (the Lothian and Borders Police response to the festive season in Edinburgh) officers will be carrying out additional high-visibility patrols in order to provide reassurance to the public, and deal with any criminal behaviour.

Inspector Gill Geany, from Lothian and Borders Police, said: “Edinburgh city centre is a great place to visit for a night out, and we are keen that people enjoy themselves over the festive season. We would urge revellers to drink sensibly, and to consider what steps they can take to ensure they get home safely at the end of the night.

“It is advisable for people to ensure their mobile phone is fully charged before they go out, and if for any reason you lose your mobile, then you should keep a list of emergency numbers and some spare change if you need to make a call. I would also urge people to remain in the company of their friends, and if possible, to make arrangements to travel home together at the end of the night.

“Late night buses are available and there are a number of taxi ranks in operation throughout the city, staffed by taxi marshals from City of Edinburgh Council. Lothian and Borders Police and the Council have worked together to produce totem posters that have been erected in the city centre, showing the locations of late night bus stops and taxi ranks.

“I would urge people to make use of these transport options, and to plan ahead to ensure they get home safely. Our personal safety pocket guide – Good Nights Out, Get Home Safely– is available to download on the Lothian and Borders Police website, and I would recommend that people take advantage of the advice available.”

Police

Letter: Building barriers is not the answer

Dear Editor

I am writing  express my anger regarding the proposal from residents of Silverknowes asking to brick up three access points leading to Muirhouse following incidents of antisocial behaviour being blamed on Muirhouse residents. While I disagree with vandalism and antisocial behaviour, blocking pathways will not be the solution to this problem. This could have the adverse effect on the problem. Unfortunately lots of this behaviour is happening all over the city.

I recall this same group opposing the building of the new Craigroyston High School close to their homes . What do these people want? A Berlin Wall within North Edinburgh? They are not an elitist group who can dictate what they want.  The majority of people from Muirhouse are decent people who strive to improve their community and retain good links with surrounding neighbourhoods. Perhaps the answer is getting activists groups together within the neighbourhood to consult with each other . This could hopefully help to resolve the problem. Building barriers between communities is not the answer.

Anna Hutchison (by email)

SILVERKNOWES EASTWAY ‘barriers not the answer’

Partnership approach to tackle antisocial behaviour

North Edinburgh agencies will join together to launch a season of activities to tackle antisocial behaviour tomorrow. Local police are working with officers from the Fire and Rescue Service, City of Edinburgh Council and other agencies to focus on crime and antisocial behaviour in and around the West Pilton area in response to concerns raised by local residents.

To supplement existing work in the area, a season of co-ordinated crime prevention and environmental improvement activity will begin tomorrow (25 September) and continue into the Autumn.

As well as different council departments, other agencies including the DVLA and Trading Standards will be focusing on the area by co-ordinating their work in conjunction with the local police Safer Neighbourhood Team at Drylaw police station.

A series of activities are planned which will include community led clean-ups, targeting of fly tipping, cycle marking and bike security sessions, joint police / environmental patrols and road safety ‘parksmart’ sessions around primary schools. Free crime prevention surveys will also be offered to victims of housebreaking and hate crime and the police will also be visiting shops and licensed premises to assist them with security and safety advice as winter approaches.

Drop-in surgeries are also planned to allow residents to share their concerns with police and council officers and ensure that resources are focused to where they are needed.

Inspector Mark Rennie from Drylaw police station said: “By being smarter about when and where we use our resources in the area we will be able to have a greater impact on crime and antisocial behaviour over the autumn. We’ve received great support from partner agencies and there is a real willingness to maximise our efforts to tackle the underlying problems which have been reported to us by residents.”

Councillor Cammy Day, Community Safety Leader for Edinburgh, said: “The Capital Coalition is committed to keeping our communities safe. By listening to people and working in partnership with other agencies we can tackle the priority issues and improve the quality of life. I would like to encourage residents to take part in the organised activities aimed at making the area cleaner, greener and safer for all. Take time out to attend one of the many drop in surgeries that are being arranged and tell us what issues are affecting you. This is a great opportunity for our residents to help shape the services that are provided for their benefit. Speak to us about anti-social behaviour, graffiti, dog fouling or anything that you feel will improve life within your community.”

Regular updates on the progress of the operation and ongoing activities will be available on twitter via @LBP_Police and @north_team – and on the NEN blog, of course!

Centre hit by vandals – but Fun Day goes ahead

Vandals have caused damage estimated at £2500 at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. Up to three young people slashed the Centre’s polytunnel and destroyed young plants between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. The attack comes just a week after a scarecrow was set ablaze at the Centre.  

Staff turned up at work on Wednesday morning to find a polytunnel used by the Centre’s gardening groups slashed open, and their worst fears were realised upon closer inspection – the tunnel’s contents had been scattered and destroyed.

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre’s Elizabeth Graham, who supports the gardening groups, said: ‘I must admit I shed a tear when I saw the damage that had been done. Our gardeners had been growing on some young plants and these have been destroyed – it’s too late in the season now to start this process again – it’s so very sad. I hoped we could maybe repair the polytunnel using a strong tape but the damage is too severe. This is such a pointless act and I do worry that this may have been carried out by some young people who use the Centre – or who certainly know people who use the Centre. It’s very upsetting and such a waste”.

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre is covered by CCTV cameras and police are now studying tapes. It’s understood that the culprits have been captured on camera.

And despite the vandalism episode, today’s Family Fun Day goes ahead at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. The fun starts at 11am – all welcome.

Councillors to decide on Silverknowes access

It may not be up there with the Berlin Wall or Northern Ireland’s ‘peace barriers’, but North Edinburgh’s own long-running dispute over local access and antisocial behaviour could soon be over. Members of the city council’s Transport, Infrastructure and Environment (TIE) Committee will decide whether Silverknowes and Muirhouse are to be separated by closed-off barriers at their 13 September meeting. 

Following anti-social behaviour and disturbances in part of the Silverknowes area last autumn, representatives from community organisations in Almond and Forth wards met with local politicians, council and police officials to discuss the possibility of closing off accesses at Silverknowes Eastway.

It proved impossible to reach agreement, however, with community groups and residents in Almond (i.e. Silverknowes) overwhelmingly in favour of closing off the accesses, while Forth community groups and residents are equally vehement in their opposition to closure.  Council officials have also indicated that their policy recommendation must be to keep the accesses open.

Council officials are now compiling a report for the next meeting of the TIE committee, and local groups and individuals have been invited to make submissions for inclusion in the report by 27 July.

Among the options councillors will consider will be the possibility of closing off the pedestrian and cycleway access between Silverknowes and Muirhouse at Silverknowes Eastway/Muirhouse Gardens and Silverknowes Eastway/Muirhouse Drive in the evenings.

Davidsons Mains and Silverknowes Association is one of the Almond groups pressing for closure of the access. The group points to a survey they conducted earlier this year to gauge public opinion on the access issue. In a newsletter to residents DMSA point out:  ‘The DMSA has previously advised residents on the outcomes from the residents opinion survey but it is worth repeating that there were 235 responses from Silverknowes and only 44 from Muirhouse. The Silverknowes return represented a remarkable 40% response and, of those who replied, 65% were in favour of complete closure and 15% wanted some form of restricted access, for example, by closure in the evening and overnight.’

The group is expected to make both formal written submission and to send a deputation to the forthcoming transport committee meeting to argue the case for closure.

Opponents of the proposals, however, argue that closing off and separating communities is not the answer. Roy Douglas, chairman of Muirhouse Salvesen Community Council, confirmed: “We will be making a submission and plan to send a deputation to the TIE meeting. The access must remain open and we will be putting that case strongly to councillors”.