Tag: community safety

The Herbert Protocol: keeping loved ones safe

The Herbert Protocol is here to give you some reassurance and help keep your loved ones safe. This is a local initiative for residents living in the Edinburgh. The system provides the police with everything they need to know to search for the person living with dementia.  Continue reading The Herbert Protocol: keeping loved ones safe

Keep Safe

What is Keep Safe?

Keep Safe is an award winning initiative developed in partnership with Police Scotland and I Am Me Scotland.

Keep Safe Places logo

The initiative works with a network of local businesses to create ‘Keep Safe’ places in the community for anyone feeling lost, frightened or who has been a victim of crime. Keep Safe staff are trained to offer assistance if required.

What is the aim of the initiative?

The initiative aims to ensure that people feel safe when participating in community life. Many people can feel scared, frightened or vulnerable when out in the community and this can in many cases lead to social isolation.

Keep Safe aims to offer a network of safe places to help encourage people to participate in daily community life free from the fear of harassment and abuse.

Sometimes due to disability or age related illness, people can easily become disorientated, lost or become confused, especially in and around unfamiliar surroundings. Keep Safe can offer a reassurance that there is somewhere people can seek assistance if required.

What is the Keep Safe Card?

Keep Safe Places card

Keep Safe cards are available for elderly, disabled and vulnerable people. The cards detail information such as communication requirements, health concerns and who to contact in the event of an emergency.

The cards are particularly useful for people who have a learning disability or have dementia/Alzheimer’s.

How can a business become a Keep Safe place?

If a business wants to become a Keep Safe place, they can either contact their local Police Office directly to ask if they are supporting the initiative or they can contact I Am Me project on iammeproject@yahoo.co.uk.

What is involved?

If a business wants to become Keep Safe, a criteria form is completed and sent to Police Scotland to check that the premises are suitable to become Keep Safe. If approved, a training date will be arranged.

This can be tailored to suit each business and can be anything from 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on what the business would like delivered.

When staff training is complete, the Keep Safe sticker will be displayed in the window and the business will be advertised on I Am Me Scotland webpage and the new Keep Safe App.

A business pack is left with each Keep Safe place to ensure that any new staff can be made aware of the initiative.

What is the Keep Safe App?

A phone app called ‘Keep Safe Scotland’ has been developed and is available to download. The app maps out all Keep Safe places across Scotland and can help people to plan routes, highlighting Keep Safe places along the route.

The app also enables people to report hate crimes directly to the Police if they have been a victim or have witnessed an incident.

It is available via iTunes or Google Play.

Is there any cost involved?

There is no cost for participating businesses and all resources for the initiative are provided free from iammeproject@yahoo.co.uk.

Are there any restrictions?

A criteria form must be completed and all new Keep Safe places must be approved by Police Scotland. This is to ensure that Keep Safe places are safe and accessible places for people to seek assistance.

The Keep Safe premises information must be sent to the I Am Me project to ensure that there is a national database of Keep Safe places and that all Keep Safe places can be identified on the phone app.

The Keep Safe logo and resources must remain unchanged as this will ensure recognition when people are travelling across local authority boundaries. Local information and advertising can be inserted into the business packs, if required.

What is I Am Me?

I Am Me Scotland is a community based charity based in Renfrewshire. The Charity works with Police Scotland and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Office to raise awareness of disability hate crime.

Although the focus of the charity and the training resources is Disability, Keep Safe has been designed and developed to support any person who may require support and assistance when out in the community.

Updated-Keep-Safe-Card-Print-Ready-A4

More information on the charity is available from www.iammescotland.co.uk or twitter @IammeScotland

“Unacceptable”: 128 deliberate fires in Edinburgh in just two months

Firefighters were called to tackle more than 1,800 deliberate fires across Scotland in the space of just two months, latest figures reveal. Continue reading “Unacceptable”: 128 deliberate fires in Edinburgh in just two months

Fireworks safety: public consultation launched

Have your say on fireworks misuse at Craigroyston event

The use and regulation of fireworks is the focus of a public consultation which aims to ensure everyone can enjoy displays safely.

Community Safety Minister Ash Denham launched the consultation, which asks for views on issues such as whether the sale of fireworks to the public should be banned, and what other measures can help ensure fireworks are used safely and responsibly.

Responses will inform on-going discussions about whether changes to legislation and regulation of fireworks in Scotland are needed, following concerns about their misuse and the potential impact on public safety and animal welfare.

Legislation on the sale and storage of fireworks is reserved to the UK Government while laws covering their use is devolved.

Ms Denham (above) said: “From Hogmanay to summer festivals to Diwali and Bonfire night, fireworks are a focal point of a range of celebrations through the year. Most people enjoy fireworks responsibly but if used inappropriately or without respect for others they can cause great distress or even physical injury to people and to animals.

“From conversations with members of the public and emergency service workers I am aware of concern about the use and sale of fireworks to individuals. We want to work with others to reduce the negative impact of fireworks and the public’s voice is vital in shaping our approach going forward.

“While much of existing legislation on the sale of fireworks is reserved to Westminster, we hope this consultation will identify any gaps in the law and highlight where the regulation of fireworks could be improved.”

A series of consultation events will be held across the country – and one of these will take place at Craigroyston Community High School on Wednesday 13th February from 6 – 8pm.

This is one of a series of engagement events on the Scottish Government’s Consultation on Fireworks, where individuals, communities and professionals are invited to come along to give their views.

Events will provide an opportunity to explore and discuss the use and impact – both positive and negative – of fireworks use in Scotland. A summary report will be produced from the events for the Scottish Government to consider alongside comments received online.

This is an excellent opportunity for those with an interest in discussing views and ideas on what action can be taken to ensure fireworks continue to be enjoyed safely and responsibly.

North Edinburgh has had it’s fair share of firework related antisocial behaviour. Last year North Edinburgh became one of four city dispersal zones created over the bonfire season, following criminal behaviour – and a serious injury to a local police officer – in 2017. Take this opportunity to have your say.

The Scottish Government consultation on fireworks: Your experiences, your ideas, your views is open now. The consultation runs until 13 May 2019.

 

New drug driving laws and roadside testing to improve road safety

Zero tolerance for people caught driving with illegal drugs in their system.

Scotland’s stringent road safety laws will be strengthened further by the introduction of drug driving limits and roadside testing on 21 October this year. 

There will be a zero tolerance approach to eight drugs most associated with illegal use, including cannabis, heroin and cocaine, with limits set at a level where any claims of accidental exposure can be ruled out.

Meanwhile, a list of other drugs associated with medical use will have limits based on impairment and risk to road safety.

This will make it easier to hold drug drivers to account as there will no longer be a requirement to prove that someone was driving in an impaired manner.

Regulations laid in the Scottish Parliament, subject to MSPs’ approval, will permit prosecutions where different drug types are found to be above specified levels.

Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service have been making preparations and are on track for implementation in October.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The introduction of drug driving limits will strengthen the power of Scotland’s police and prosecutors to tackle the minority of drivers who irresponsibly put themselves and other road-users at risk.

“Drug driving is completely unacceptable, and we will continue to use all of the tools at our disposal to prevent the avoidable deaths and damage caused by those who drive under the influence of drugs.

“Together with our stringent drink-driving limits, these new laws will ensure that Scotland has the UK’s most robust laws against impaired and unsafe driving.”

Chief Inspector Stephen Innes of Police Scotland said:

“Police Scotland is committed to reducing road casualties, and tackling drink and drug driving is a key focus of our activity. The devastating impact of drug driving on victims, communities and users themselves cannot be understated.

“This new legislation will significantly enhance our ability to detect and deter motorists engaging in this extremely risky driving behaviour.

“We are currently working closely with key partners and plans are well advanced to deliver this new legislation in October this year.”

One Year On: Progress in tackling violence against women and girls

Strategy highlights priority areas

As the United Nations campaign of 16 days of activism around violence against women begins, the Scottish Government has highlighted the actions it has taken to tackle the issue. Continue reading One Year On: Progress in tackling violence against women and girls