Police Scotland has released images of a man they believe may hold information which might assist in relation to a serious assault that occurred at South St Andrew Street, Edinburgh around 12.50am on Friday, 27 August, 2021.
The man pictured is described as white, aged 18-25, of slim build with medium length light brown hair. He is wearing a distinctive black tracksuit top with three white vertical stripes down the centre and a large gold emblem on the back with jeans and grey trainers.
Detective Sergeant James Berry said: “I would urge the male, or anyone who has information relating to the male, depicted in the images to make contact with the police.
“Members of the public can contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting reference 0187 of 27 August, 2021. Alternatively, calls can be made anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Police are working with local partners to tackle anti-social behaviour following an increase in incidents linked with youth gatherings at Sighthill Public Park and on the tramline between Hermiston Gait and Balgreen.
Community policing teams in Edinburgh Southwest have been working closely with Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Trams and the Fire Service to put in place a strategy to combat anti-social behaviour and protect the local community.
As part of the strategy, called Operation Pillar, police have introduced high visibility patrols at peak times and increased CCTV coverage in key locations across the area to discourage anti-social behaviour and help with identifying those responsible where incidents do occur.
Officers will also be delivering educational inputs at local High Schools and implementing diversionary interventions with local young people.
Chief Inspector Mark Hamilton said: “We know that the increase in anti-social behaviour in the area has been a cause for concern to many in the community.
“For this reason we have been working closely with our local partners to put together a comprehensive strategy so we can tackle this issue head-on
“By establishing high visibility patrols and increasing CCTV coverage we expect to see a reduction in the number of incidents occurring and be able to catch those responsible where they do.
“Officers will be providing support to Council park rangers, tram staff and colleagues at the Fire Service so that any instances of anti-social behaviour can be dealt with effectively.
“Positive engagement with young people is also a key component of this strategy and by working with local schools we hope to prevent any incidents from happening in the first place.
“If anyone does however observe any anti-social behaviour or criminality, I would ask that people report through the 101 telephone number, or if it is an emergency to dial 999.
“Members of the public are also encouraged to speak with patrolling officers when they see them to highlight any issues or concerns.”
An Edinburgh Trams spokesperson said: “The safety and wellbeing of customers and employees is always our number one priority, and we work closely with the police and other partners to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour that are sometimes reported on the network.
“These partnerships include regular joint patrols with the police, while extensive, high quality CCTV coverage on the tramway enables us to react quickly to any incidents. Footage captured by our cameras can also be shared with the police to help them to identify those responsible.
“Trams are one of the safest forms of public transport and these measures provide further reassurance for our customers and colleagues.”
Police Scotland has released an image of a man they believe may be able to assist with their enquiries in connection with a serious incident which occurred in the early hours of 27 August 2015 at Newmills Road in Balerno.
Officers are keen to speak to a man who was on the number 44 bus travelling west from Edinburgh City Centre towards the Balerno area late in the evening of 26 August, 2015.
CCTV footage has shown that the man alighted from the bus at Newmills Road, Edinburgh, shortly before midnight and detectives believe he may have vital information relating to the incident.
Detective Inspector Jon Pleasance, of Edinburgh CID, said: “This man may have witnessed something that could assist with our investigation and therefore it is vital we speak to him.
“There is no reason to believe he was involved in the incident itself, and he may have not realised that what he potentially saw or heard could assist police.
“I would ask if you are this man, or you recognise this man, please get in contact with police.
“Although this incident took place in 2015, we are determined to bring the offender to justice and are appealing for any information that can help with our enquiries.”
Police can be contacted on 101 quoting incident 0080 of 27/08/2015. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
“Edinburgh has big ambitions in becoming a world-leading Smart City“
The City of Edinburgh Council is to revolutionise security and surveillance across the capital with a £2.6million investment in the build and management of Edinburgh’s new CCTV Control Centre.
This forms part of the Council’s vision to create a Smart City Operation Facility, providing a holistic view of the city by utilising the latest technology to drive operational efficiencies, improve security and analyse trends.
The new Control Centre will see the provision of high-definition CCTV cameras, expanded security coverage, and the introduction of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence that can provide situational awareness and predict and alert new and existing threats.
The Council has partnered with North, the UK’s leading IoT service and solution provider, to lead on this transformational project which is set for completion in September this year (2022).
The project will see North intelligently integrate the security system with traffic and transportation platforms to enhance the management of city operations. It will improve efficiency, quickly identify and address issues, provide simple and rapid retrieval of footage, and integrate with remote security systems that are currently not connected to the existing Control Room.
The new system will allow for better city planning and will be able to provide a richer view of how people interact with the urban environment – whether on foot, bicycle or vehicle.
With the support of North’s expertise, the Council will have a true smart city platform which will have the ability to allow future integration with other smart technologies such as air quality sensors, smart parking applications, flood sensors to detect water levels, and intelligent camera analytics to monitor low emission zones.
Community engagement has also been factored into the project with North providing apprenticeship opportunities, work experience placements and volunteer schemes to support the delivery of the contract, including working with local communities and organisations.
The City of Edinburgh Council Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “Edinburgh has big ambitions in becoming a world-leading Smart City – a digitally inclusive, data-rich and sustainable city with services that are easily accessible by all of our residents no matter where they are in the city, or what their circumstances are.
“We’re looking to deliver a more digitally-enabled proactive service to help make everyone’s lives in our Scottish Capital better and so we can continue our work towards ending poverty, meeting our net zero targets and improving wellbeing for all.
With this Smart City partnership with North we’re looking to make transformative differences to the way we manage our city – gathering real-time intelligence to improve safety on our streets, manage services more effectively and better serve the wellbeing of our residents.
Through North, alongside our other partners, we believe we’ve found a strong partnership that will deliver on our world-leading vision, changing the way we provide our services to all, while improving our communities.
Scott McEwan, Chief Commercial Officer at North, said:“The implementation of IoT technology within our security offering has the power to truly transform the lives of citizens, revolutionising the ways in which we work and ensuring that the environments we live and work in are safe and healthy.
“CCTV is not only vital for crime detection, but also for preventing offences from happening and through the implementation of these transformative systems, the City of Edinburgh Council will have the ability to access data which will bring together essential and critical services to create safer communities and allow better informed decisions to be made that improve services across Edinburgh.
“We are thrilled to be working with the City of Edinburgh Council to help them achieve their Smart City objectives with intelligent data-driven solutions.”
The City Operations Capability project is jointly funded by the City of Edinburgh Council and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programme known as ‘Scotland’s 8th City – the Smart City‘.
Edinburgh is one of the seven Scottish cities collaboratively working toward becoming a world leading Smart City. Supported by the Scottish Cities Alliance, a partnership of Scotland’s seven city local authorities and the Scottish Government, £48.2 million, including £20.3 million of ERDF support, is being invested in the ‘Scotland’s 8th City – the Smart City’ Programme.
This latest project with North also forms part of Edinburgh’s 2050 City Vision strategy, to become ‘the’ world leading Smart City, using technology to make day to day life simpler, greener and more connected while reducing carbon emissions to coincide with the Capital’s net zero carbon by 2030 ambitions.
Police Scotland has released an image of a man they believe may hold information which might assist in relation to an incident that occurred on West Richmond Street at around 11.10pm on Wednesday, 15 September, 2021.
The man is described as around 40 – 50 years old, average height and heavy build. He was wearing a black jacket, black trousers and had a bright blue rucksack.
Detective Constable Greg Manley said: “I would urge the man, or anyone who has information relating to him, depicted in the image to make contact with the police.
“Members of the public can contact Police Scotland via the 101 non-emergency telephone number quoting incident number 1825 of 16 September 2021.
“Alternatively, calls can be made anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Police Scotland has released images of four men they believe may hold information which might assist in relation to a serious assault that occurred on Frederick Street around 3.20am on Friday, 4 September, 2021.
The first man is described as being Asian, 18-30-years-old, medium build, wearing a light pink coloured shirt, blue jeans and white trainers with an item of clothing tied around his waist.
The second man is described as being Asian, 18-30-years-old, tall and thin build, mid length black hair, wearing a grey t-shirt with dark coloured shirt which is open. Grey jeans and dark coloured trainers.
The third man is described as being Asian, 20-30-years-old, medium build, with long black shoulder length hair and facial hair, wearing a grey shirt carrying a grey jacket, tan coloured trousers and black shoes.
The forth man is described as being white, 18-25-years-old, medium build, wearing a short sleeved patterned shirt, jeans and dark coloured trainers with a white sole.
Detective Constable Mark Walker of Gayfield CID said: “I would urge each of these four men, or anyone who has information relating to any of these four men, depicted in the images to make contact with the Police.
“Members of the public can contact Police Scotland via the 101 non-emergency telephone number quoting incident number 0657 of 4 September, 2021 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Police are appealing for information after two cars were deliberately set on fire in the Colinton area.
The incident happened around 11.30pm on Wednesday (14 July 2021) on the driveway of a property in Spylaw Park.
Officers are keen to speak to two men seen at the time, both wearing grey tracksuits and dark-coloured trainers. One is described as around 6ft, the other as around 5ft 10ins and he was riding a mountain bike and carrying a rucksack.
The men may also have been in Lanark Road and Spylaw Avenue around the time of the incident.
Detective Constable Sam Gillies, of Edinburgh CID, said: “Fortunately no one was injured but this was a deliberate and reckless act that has destroyed two cars and could have caused more extensive damage if the fire had not been put out quickly by the fire service.
“We are asking anyone who may have seen something suspicious in the area at the time of the incident to get in touch, including if you were driving and have dash-cam footage that could help with our investigation.
“If you can help please contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 4203 of Wednesday, 14 July, 2021, or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Police Scotland is appealing for information after the attempted murder of a 34-year-old man in West Pilton.
Officers were called to a report of a man found injured in a common stairwell in West Pilton Grove in Edinburgh at around 5pm on Friday (18 June).
The man was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where he was treated for injuries to his head and body.
Detective Inspector Alison MacDonald of CID said : “We are carrying out extensive enquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding this attempted murder, and trace whoever is responsible.
“A review of CCTV footage in the local area is ongoing and officers are carrying out house to house enquires in order to establish what happened.
“We are keen to trace the driver of a dark blue hatchback which was seen to be driving erratically in the area around the same time.
“We would like to speak to anyone who witnessed this attack take place, or motorists who were driving in the area of West Pilton Grove between 4pm and 5pm on Friday, 19 June and have dash-cam footage, you may have captured something that will assist our inquiry.
“Anyone with information on this attack should contact detectives at Corstorphine Police Office though 101 quoting reference number 2690 of 19 June. Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”
Police in Edinburgh have released CCTV images of 3 males they believe may have information that could assist with ongoing enquiries into an assault which occurred on Lothian Road on Friday 7 August 2020 at around 11.15pm.
It is believed the males pictured will be able to assist the police investigation and they, or anyone who recognises them, is asked to come forward.
Police Constable Kieran Keddie from Gayfield CID said: “We are appealing for anyone who can help us locate these males to get in touch with us. Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or make an anonymous report through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Summit and Action Plan urgently needed, says resident
Mayhem in the Meadows
Over the course of six months between May and October 1886, 135 years ago, the Edinburgh International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art attracted an incredible 2.7 million visitors to Scotland’s capital.
An astonishing 30,000 people attended on the first day, with 10,000 season tickets sold at one guinea each.
The exhibition’s enormous main pavilion was a sight to behold. It filled the Meadows Parkland between Brougham Place and what is now Jawbone Walk. The domed roof kissed the sky at 120 feet tall and was decorated with the signs of the zodiac.
I was struck as to what our forefathers responsible for creating and attending this would have thought after witnessing the events in the Meadows on Saturday (3rd April).
– and I won’t spend much time on this, but the scenes of violence, anti-social behaviour and urinating/defecating in neighbouring streets and on the Meadows was something those of us living locally should not have to put up with.
We have had enough.
It should also be noted that this is not a one-off. Roseneath Place for example is commonly used effectively as a public toilet known as the “pee street” and the rubbish left after such occasions on the Meadows is appalling. We are sick and tired of having to go out and clean up and am sure council workers have better things to do.
Without urgent action a long summer lies ahead and what is happening is in clear breach of the Covid-restrictions.
I am conscious that this has been a difficult time for young people, especially on their mental health, but behaviour like this cannot and should not be tolerated, especially as we are going through a fragile Covid-recovery.
The Meadows is now “the place” to go for teenagers, with thousands congregating and clearly overwhelming police, who I have considerable sympathy with and are in an incredibly difficult situation. Large groups are in clear breach of the Covid-regulations and it should be noted that these are not just local teenagers, with large numbers arriving in taxis/using public transport.
A combination of deterring groups of teenagers from attending plus cracking down on anti-social behaviour for those who do is vital. I have a few suggestions which may want to be considered/built on.
A Meadows’ summit needs to be implemented very quickly to look at what can be done to try and prevent this happening again through delivering an action plan. Not something in six-months time, but now.
Such a group could involve key representatives from the Council – council officials and councillors – MP; community councils, Friends of the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links, retailers and police (am conscious given the election there is no MSP(s)). This can clearly be pulled together very quickly given the wonders of modern technology.
Some thoughts for consideration below:
Licensing – it was clear from the young people queuing outside shops locally that a large number were underage and should not have been able to buy alcohol. The impact of alcohol on behaviour was clear for all to see. A reminder to shop-owners of their responsibilities is a suggestion.
Toilets – a lack of toilets is an issue. We have to acknowledge that even if we manage to deter groups of teenagers attending and breaching Covid-regulations, they are not enough facilities to accommodate. The provision of some portaloos would be an option, preventing people urinating/defecating in local streets.
Bins – unfortunately many are too lazy to take their rubbish to a bin or take it away. The provision of some black bins on the Meadows itself may be an issue and implementation of a BYOB – Bring Your Own Bag Campaign – tied in with some environmental messaging. Although I am conscious of the potential impact of locating bins on the grass. Potential also to use park wardens (as per 4)) to distribute bags.
Park wardens – provision of park wardens handing out bags, implementing fines for those littering. The presence of someone on Roseneath Place on a summer’s day as a deterrent to those using it as a public toilet would be welcomed.
CCTV – has the potential to deter if people know they are being “caught on camera”. For those engaging in anti-social behaviour there is the evidence to convict.
Police – having to deal with this is a massive waste of police resources, which can be deployed elsewhere. Groups of individuals must be deterred from attending, but there does however require to be a police presence to crack down on those who do, with a zero- tolerance message. Early intervention through a strong presence early on has the potential to prevent having to address out of control crowds later on. This includes removing alcohol, breaking up crowds and implementing fines.
Parental responsibility – parents clearly have a responsibility in ascertaining what their children are up to. Could a communication maybe be sent by the Council to parents to explain what has been happening, for them to question where their children are going when out and where they have been, and to also highlight the Covid-restrictions?
Ultimately, addressing issues after they happen is much more resource-intensive than trying to prevent them occurring in the first place.
These are a few suggestions any group may want to look at. The Meadows is a much-loved and appreciated resource, and we must all act to try and keep it that way.
