Police in Edinburgh are appealing for witnesses following an assault with intent to rob which occurred in the city on Monday (24 January, 2022).
Around 7pm, a 66-year-old man was in his car at Craigleith Retail Park when he was approached by a man who opened his car door and demanded money.
The man ran away from the retail park and no money was stolen.
The suspect is described as a white man with a local accent, approx. 5ft 8in tall, of slim build with short hair and he was wearing dark clothing.
Detective Sergeant Rory Legge, of Corstorphine CID, said: “This was a frightening experience for the victim who luckily did not sustain any injuries.
“Enquiries into the incident are ongoing.
“I am appealing to anyone who was in the area around the time of the incident who may have witnessed what happened, or any motorists who were in the area with dash cam footage, to please come forward.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101, quoting incident number 3143 of 24 January. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Police Scotland’s Positive Action Team would like to invite all European nationals living in Scotland who are interested in a policing career, to join us for an online recruitment event.
This event will take place on Thursday 27th January 2022, at 6.30pm and will be accessed through Microsoft Teams.
Come and speak to serving officers to find out about what it takes to become a Police Constable, what makes it an amazing career, and how to be successful through the recruitment process.
You will get also get an insight into the training, probation period and career development opportunities and will have the opportunity to ask officers questions.
Figures show 13 per cent of those killed on Scotland’s roads over the last five years were not wearing a seatbelt. Despite this, new research reveals that almost one in ten drivers always drive a car without wearing a seatbelt.
Drivers surveyed feel that drink-driving, drug-driving, using a phone while driving, driving while fatigued and driving aggressively are all ‘riskier’ than not wearing a seatbelt while driving. Passengers not wearing a seatbelt was seen as ‘risky’ by just 27 per cent.
Minister for Transport Graeme Dey said: “Wearing a seatbelt is something everyone can do to reduce injuries and save lives.
“The consequences of not wearing your seatbelt can be devastating if a collision occurs – not only for the driver and passengers but for other people, including your loved ones.
“This campaign delivers a stark but necessary message to anyone travelling in a car: It’s not just you who gets hurt. Wear a seatbelt on every journey.”
When it comes to considering the serious consequences of not wearing a seatbelt, the majority of drivers surveyed thought of themselves first and were concerned that they might get seriously injured or die if they were involved in a collision. This was ranked above ‘causing injury to someone else’ or the ‘emotional damage they would cause to other people’ (friends, family, emergency services).
Superintendent Simon Bradshaw, Deputy Head of Road Policing said: “Wearing a seatbelt is not a choice, it’s the law and the evidence is clear that seatbelts save lives; it’s not just you that could get hurt if you don’t.
“Our officers will interact with and educate drivers and passengers where necessary but we will also continue to take appropriate enforcement action and those caught not wearing a seatbelt could be fined up to £500. We’re also reminding drivers it’s their responsibility to ensure all passengers under 14 wear their seatbelts, and they can be fined for every child not properly restrained.”
Running across TV, cinema, radio, digital and outdoor channels, the hard-hitting campaign creative underlines that a collision without a seatbelt doesn’t just hurt you, it can also be devastating for those you leave behind.
Set in a testing facility, the new ad features a car with a crash test dummy – not wearing a seatbelt – in the driver’s seat. As the car starts to drive towards a wall, the camera pans away from the impact and focuses on the effects on the driver’s family as they deal with their grief.
A crash test dummy family are seen sitting at a dinner table with an empty seat poignantly left for their lost family member as the final line appears: ‘It’s not just you who gets hurt. Wear a seatbelt.’
For more information go to roadsafety.scot or the Road Safety Scotland Facebook and Twitter (@roadsafetyscot) pages.
Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information and urging businesses to be vigilant following incidents of frauds via payment card devices.
Fraudsters are reported to have entered retail and hospitality establishments in the city centre and swapped the card machine belonging to the business for their own one. This results in payments for subsequent sales being fraudulently paid into the scammer’s bank account.
There were two reported incidents on Thursday (20 January 2022), in the city centre resulting in a mid-five figure sum of money being stolen. These are being treated as linked and enquiries are ongoing.
Sergeant Janie Harman from the Prevention, Intervention and Partnerships Department said: “We are urging retail and hospitality staff to be extra vigilant and ensure that they are in control of the card devices at all times, even when it’s not in use.
“If you think you may have been a victim of this type of fraud, contact your bank immediately, ensure that any CCTV is secured and contact police on 101, or in an emergency always call 999.
“Anyone with information about these incidents who has not already contacted Police Scotland should call 101, quoting reference 1971 of 20 January 2022, or report information anonymously via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Police have welcomed the conviction of Nikolaos Karvounakis after he left an improvised explosive device (IED) in Princes Street Gardens in January 2018.
At the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday, the 35-year-old Greek national pled guilty to being in possession of items for a terrorist purpose.
Detective Chief Superintendent Stuart Houston said: “Karvounakis showed a blatant disregard for members of the public by placing the IED indiscriminately within Princes Street Gardens. Fortunately, it did not initiate, but his intention was clear and there was certainly the potential to cause significant, or even fatal, injury to innocent passers-by.
“I welcome his guilty plea and conviction which is testament to the perseverance of our diligent investigation team over the last four years.
“Since the discovery of the package, officers from Police Scotland’s Counter Terrorism Unit carried out extensive enquiries, including with European partners and law enforcement agencies. They were absolutely committed to the challenging inquiry to identify who was responsible.
“The successful conclusion of this investigation today has been founded on the strong co-operation and working closely with the Counter Terrorism Network across the UK and internationally.”
A 31-year-old man has been charged with six offences related to housebreakings and theft.
Officers responded to a call from a member of the public in the Barnton area during the early hours of Tuesday morning (18 January) regarding suspicious activity.
Officers attended and arrested the man nearby. The charges relate to offences which took place between 15 and 18 January 2022.
The man will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.
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 an image of a male they believe may hold information which might assist in relation to an incident that occurred at Giles Street at around 4.30am on Saturday, 9 October, 2021.
The male is described as being in his late 30s, of average build with short dark hair.
Detective Constable Greg Manley said: “I would urge the male, 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 0758 of Saturday, 9 October, 2021.
“Alternatively, calls can be made anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
More than 600 motorists were detected for drink drug drive offences during the annual festive drink drug drive campaign.
During the campaign, which ran between 1 December 2021 and 3 January 2022, Police Scotland officers carried out 2965 roadside tests. Overall, 628 drivers were detected for drink or drug driving offences.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams said: “It is really disappointing to see that some people are still willing to take the risk of driving after consuming alcohol or drugs.
“Our campaign was intelligence led, with a number of drivers reported to us by colleagues, friends or family. Please continue to alert us to concerning driving behaviour as drink/drug driving remains a priority for us throughout the year.
“Everyone has a part to play in reducing road casualties and your information helps our officers to act quickly to stop drivers who are selfishly putting lives at risk by driving after consuming alcohol or drugs.”
POLICE Scotland will be hosting an online recruitment event aimed at people from all minority ethnic communities across Scotland tonight.
This event will give attendees a fantastic opportunity to hear from serving BME officers and their experiences as a police officer in Scotland as well as the opportunity to ask questions.
The event will also focus on the recruitment process and the training, with a unique insight in to life at the Scottish Police College. The event will be held on Microsoft Teams tonight – Thursday 13th January – from 6.30pm – 8.30pm.
The consent, support and co-operation of our fellow citizens lies at the heart of the identity and legitimacy of policing in Scotland.
To ensure that bond is as strong as possible, we must fully represent and reflect the communities we serve. Inclusion is an operational necessity and morally the right thing to do.
We are committed to increasing the number of officers and staff from under-represented groups.There are well documented barriers to some people applying to join the police service.
We therefore run a number of different recruitment events to answer specific questions from people from diverse communities. This is to make sure everyone has fair access to the Police Scotland recruitment process.
