Road policing officers are appealing for information after a crash involving two vehicles on the A68 in the Scottish Borders.
The incident happened near to Camptown south of Jedburgh around 4.20pm yesterday (Sunday, 30 June) and involved a red Ford Transit van and a black Volkswagen Sharan car.
The 14-year-old male front seat passenger from the Volkswagen was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment to serious injuries.
The 47-year-old female driver of the car and two back seat passengers – an 11-year-old boy and 10-year-old girl – were all taken to Borders General Hospital.
The 47-year-old male driver of the van was also taken to Borders General Hospital. He has been arrested in connection with a road traffic offence and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
The road was closed to allow for an investigation and reopened around 8.30pm.
Sergeant Lee Walkingshaw said: “Our enquiries into this incident are ongoing and we urge anyone with information or dashcam footage to get in touch.
“We would also be keen to speak to two unidentified people who stopped to give assistance at the scene but left prior to police arriving.
“Anyone with information can call 101, quoting reference 2271 of 30 June.”
The next Catch Up with a Cop at Stockbridge Market will be held today – Sunday 30th June, from 1100 hours.
This 3 -weekly surgery is a chance to speak to your beat officer, report crimes/issues/intel, or obtain advice. People are also welcome to bring children along to meet a police officer and ask us questions.
It’s been a useful resource so far this year for many people, and the North West Community Policing Team would like to thank Stockbridge Market for hosting them.
BUYING ALCOHOL FOR CHILDREN COULD LEAVE YOU FACING A FINE OR JAIL TIME.
That’s the stark message of a campaign running across this summer in collaboration with retailers, alcohol companies and Police Scotland.
Evaluations of the previous “It’ll Cost You!” campaigns have shown a steady increase in awareness about the implications of supplying alcohol to minors, but it remains a serious issue with 18 detections being made during the course of last year’s campaign.
It is an offence in Scotland for an adult to buy or attempt to buy alcohol for someone who is under the age of 18. This is known as proxy purchase and can result in a fine, imprisonment or both.
The “It’ll Cost You!” campaign is a collaboration between Police Scotland, the Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership and Community Alcohol Partnerships aims to raise awareness of the damaging effects and criminal nature of buying alcohol for under 18s.
This year’s campaign will run from 1 July to 12 August across Scotland.
Superintendent Joanne McEwan, Police Scotland, said: “This campaign showcases the benefits of key partners working together to inform the public of dangers associated with underage drinking, as well as the criminal consequences for supplying those under 18 with alcohol.”
Luke McGarty, Chair of the SAIP Campaigns Group and Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Scottish Grocers Federation, said: “Proxy purchasing is not an easy crime to detect and retailers are the first line of defence in reducing underage drinking and anti-social behaviour linked to alcohol.
“The “It’ll Cost You!” campaign fits perfectly with SGF’s position of promoting responsible community retailing. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners on the campaign again this year.”
Grahame Clarke, Community Alcohol Partnership Coordinator, said: “The campaign gives us an opportunity to spread the “It’ll Cost You!” message in local communities, highlighting the dangers of buying alcohol for young people.
“We look forward to working with Police Scotland and the Police Scotland Youth Volunteers to make sure that this messaging is carried through all our engagement activity this summer.”
Siobhain Brown MSP, Minister for Victims and Community Safety, said: “I welcome the return of a campaign that successfully illustrates the value of strong collaboration and regular engagement between partners, which help to deliver shared aims to help reduce underage drinking and anti-social behaviour in our communities.”
Chief Constable Jo Farrell paid tribute to response officers during a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority yesterday (Thursday 27 June).
Speaking during the National Police Chiefs’ Council Response Policing Week of Action, the Chief thanked response officers for their bravery, compassions and resilience as the first police contact across countless scenarios and times of crisis.
The Chief said senior officers had been visiting response teams across the country to thank them in person and listen to their experiences.
CC Farrell said: “Response officers work around the clock to serve the public with bravery, compassion and resilience across countless scenarios – no two shifts are the same. Response officers are often the first contact the public has with their police service, and often in moments of crisis and criticality.
“I’ve been clear that it is my duty to support frontline policing and my aim is to bring the frontline to its strongest possible position. I want to record my deep gratitude for our response officers and I know senior officers right across the country are taking time to recognise and thank their teams.”
Chief Constable Farrell provided a wide ranging update on how officers and staff are delivering for the public, including securing important convictions in murder and organised crime cases.
The Chief’s speaking note is below
This week Police Scotland is recognising and celebrating the vital role and contribution of response policing as part of the National Police Chiefs’ Council Response Policing Week of Action.
Response officers work around the clock to serve the public with bravery, compassion and resilience across countless scenarios – no two shifts are the same. Response officers are often the first contact the public has with their police service, and often in moments of crisis and criticality.
I’ve been clear that it is my duty to support frontline policing and my aim is to bring the frontline to its strongest possible position. I want to record my deep gratitude for our response officers and I know senior officers right across the country are taking time to recognise and thank their teams.
My report outlines how officers and staff are delivering for the public every day – investigating crime; securing court outcomes; and seizing illegal drugs.
This summer, policing is also supporting major events, including hugely popular music concerts, sporting events, festivals and a general election. I want to thank the officers and staff who plan and support our proportionate and appropriate policing response to ensure communities can enjoy events safely and participate in the democratic process.
Since appointment, I’ve underlined that as policing tackles threat, harm and risk, we must also focus on prevention and problem solving to support communities, eliminate harm and get on top of demand.
This month, we’re campaigning to reduce road casualties with a focus on wearing seatbelts and we’ve shared powerful testimony from people affected by road traffic collisions. I thank those who bravely shared their experiences in an effort to prevent further harm.
Introducing change that achieves efficiencies and benefits is critical to provide effective service.
We’ve now outlined a national contract to implement body worn video for over 10,000 frontline officers and staff across Scotland, over the next three years.
Motorola Solutions was awarded the contract on the basis of quality and value for money and a range of technical requirements. The new system is anticipated to work smoothly in areas with lower quality network connections, including rural locations, and we are also investing in our network capability to support this.
Body worn video can help to de-escalate incidents, improve public trust in policing and reduce complaints, support officer and staff safety, and bring wider benefits to the criminal justice system and I have been clear a national roll-out is a priority for me.
We know there is strong public and partner support for body worn video in Scotland and we will continue to explain policing’s use of this important technology, including assurance around data privacy and human rights considerations.
The national roll out of body worn video is a complex programme of work. Appointing a supplier is an important step and we are working with Motorola Solutions to ensure that body worn video is embedded effectively for frontline officers and staff as soon as possible and we’ll continue to share details as progress is made.
I have highlighted that innovation and system-wide improvement must be prioritised and accelerated across the criminal justice system and, as we roll out body worn video, we’re working with Motorola Solutions and partners to maximise its benefits to improve efficiencies and experiences for victims.
My report details other work with the Scottish Government, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service to support better and quicker court outcomes for victims and to provide efficiency and value for the public and I am grateful for their engagement and commitment to those shared goals.
The time it takes for victims to get justice in this system is far too long. Victims and witnesses, including police witnesses, are repeatedly cited to court when they are not giving evidence.
Along with accelerating broader change across the criminal justice system, I want key partners, including the third sector, to help us find a balance around the care, support and monitoring of people suffering with poor mental health that officers are too often picking up.
We receive a mental health related call every three-four minutes on average and each year officers deploy to well over 100,000 mental health related incidents – the equivalent work of between 500 and 600 full time officers.
I’ve asked Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs to lead Police Scotland’s work with partners including the Authority and the Scottish Government and we’ve established a mental health taskforce to drive work in this priority area at pace.
The taskforce will develop and embed referral pathways such as the NHS Mental Health Pathway and Distress Brief Intervention, as well as operational guidance on how to access community triage, so the public get the right response from those best able to give people the help they need and deserve.
The taskforce will also build on training to give our people the knowledge, skills and confidence to support that balance around the care, support and monitoring in our day to day policing.
Of course, policing cannot succeed in this without the support and engagement of partners. There are localised examples of fantastic initiatives such as the Neuk in Perth which I visited in April.
But we need more of this, right across the country.
We want to work with partners to ensure there is the right capability and capacity in the system, while giving officers and staff the knowledge and tools to help people access the best help for them.
Moving on, I want to briefly highlight three events which are further detailed in my report.
I was grateful for the leadership, contribution and support of the Scottish Police Authority and you, Chair, for the first Scottish Biometrics Conference which the Authority and Police Scotland jointly hosted with the Biometrics Commissioner Dr Brian Plastow in Edinburgh last week.
The event was an important opportunity to continue the necessary public conversation about policing’s ethical use of biometrics data and new technology where it can help us discharge our positive duty to keep people safe.
We welcomed around 50 law enforcement colleagues, mostly from the United States as the Federal Bureau of Investigations hosted a cycle of their National Executive Institute programme for senior officers at Police Scotland Headquarters. Along with other Police Scotland chief officers, I addressed the delegates during this important example of our commitment to sharing learning on an international scale.
I want to thank everyone who contributed to and attended our recruitment open day hosted at our Recruitment and Training Centre at Jackton, in South Lanarkshire. The showcase was well attended and gave members of the public an insight into our varied, rewarding and demanding vocation.
My report also outlines the deployment of over 190 probationary officers to local policing following the completion of their initial training earlier this month.
It is important to say we are recruiting – particularly for police officers and for staff in our contact centres and I would encourage anyone who shares our values, who wants to help us keep people safe and who is interested in a hugely rewarding career to visit the recruitment area of our website.
We have provided an overview of the projected recruitment and officer headcount profile during 2024-25 which will be presented by DCC Speirs later. As Chief Constable, I would just make a few brief comments at this stage.
We know a number of factors, going back to recruitment and training being paused during the pandemic and COP26 and an increase in retirement following pension changes, along with a recruitment pause to ensure we delivered a balanced budget in 2023-24, have contributed to greater volatility in officer numbers than would otherwise be the case.
Police Scotland’s retention rate is in line with other large police services.
So far in 2024, as with previous years, we continue to see the majority of officers leave for retirement. Although our retention rate is good, I do recognise policing is a demanding job and I’m focused on improving the experiences of officers and staff.
As I mentioned earlier, I want to bring the frontline of policing to its strongest possible position. The context of that strength goes beyond an overall officer headcount and it is important we continue to maximise experienced officers performing frontline, operational policing for our communities.
At the same time, following the Scottish Budget announcement, I outlined our plans to restart officer recruitment in March and further intakes planned during 2024-25 total over 1300 officers, the highest number Police Scotland has recruited during a year.
As part of this, we’re introducing a non-residential course operated from Jackton which, as well as increasing our recruitment capacity, recognises the barriers a residential training programme can present for potential candidates.
In summary, increasing officer numbers is a focus and we’re testing innovative approaches to maximise our probationer training capacity, while at the same time pressing change that strengthens the frontline by redirecting resources or delivering efficiencies.
Lastly, my report details changes to leadership responsibilities within the Force Executive following the appointments of Stuart Houston, Catriona Paton and Mark Sutherland as Assistant Chief Constables.
Our refreshed Force Executive has a shared focus to evolve our service so policing can live within our means and to ensure we support our fantastic officers and staff, to deliver the best for our communities.
A 34-year-old man has been jailed for multiple violent offences against women and girls.
John McKechnie was sentenced to a total of 8 years at the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday, 27 June, 2024. His sentencing includes two years already served in prison.
The offences included rape, domestic offending, and possession of incident images of children.
His offending took place between 2015 and 2022 and took place in the West Lothian area. He had previously been convicted of the offences following a trial on Wednesday, 22 May, 2024.
Detective Inspector Adrian Ure, National Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “John McKechnie is a violent and predatory individual who will now face the consequences of his despicable actions.
“I commend the strength of the victims for coming forward and hope the sentence will bring some comfort as they try to move forward.
“Sexual abuse of any kind has no place in our society and any reports made to Police Scotland will be robustly investigated.
“We encourage anyone with concerns about a child at risk of abuse, or a potential victim, to contact police immediately.”
An NSPCC Scotland spokesperson said: “By downloading indecent images and videos of children, offenders such as McKechnie help fuel the demand for this devastating material.
“The trauma suffered by children who have been sexually abused can profoundly impact their lives long into adulthood if they do not receive the support they need.
“Any adult concerned about a child’s safety or wellbeing can contact the NSPCC helpline at help@nspcc.org.uk or on 0808 800 5000. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or via childline.org.uk.”
First of its kind charity formed to support people through cyber and fraud crime
A new national charity has been launched to support members of the Scottish public who find themselves victims of a cyber or fraud crime.
The Cyber and Fraud Hub was formed by Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland in response to a rapid increase in calls from concerned members of the public to its incident response helpline a collaboration between leading Scottish cybersecurity organisation the Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland, Police Scotland and the Scottish Government, which was originally set up to support businesses through a cyberattack.
Last year, calls to the Cyber and Fraud Centre incident response helpline doubled, with
60% of calls coming from concerned members of the public seeking advice following a suspected cyber or fraud crime.
Businesses will continue to be supported through the Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland with advice, intelligence and training, while the newly launched Cyber and Fraud Hub will offer tailored support through reporting and legal guidance, victim assistance, and recovering funds as well as improving the public’s understanding of cyber and fraud crime.
The Cyber and Fraud Hub will be the first charity in Scotland to offer this level of bespoke victim and advice support to individuals and will allow a greater number of people to access wraparound support at a time when they are most vulnerable.
The Cyber and Fraud Hub was spearheaded by a dedicated team who gave up their spare time to make the charity a reality. The team includes; Angie Lees, Declan Doyle, John Callagy, Jude McCorry, Alex Dowall and chair, Paul Atkinson.
Jude McCorry, CEO of Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland, said: “I recently saw a quote saying “The Fight against fraud is everyone’s problem, but no one’s priority” and we have seen this play out over the last year.
“In launching the Cyber and Fraud Hub, we have now made it our priority, but we need others, including senior figures in financial services and government, to make it their priority too.
“The Cyber and Fraud Hub will meet a vital need for support for individuals who find themselves in the daunting situation of being a victim of a cyber or fraud crime, the impact of which can be immense, mentally and financially.
“We’ve built strong relationships with our colleagues at Police Scotland and the banking sector to support our business community to be more resilient and we wanted to extend this support to the growing number of individuals who find themselves personally compromised as a result of this growing threat.
“Members of the public require a different type of support to get them through a cyberattack, where they are supported as victims of a crime as well as going through formal criminal proceedings.
“The Cyber and Fraud Hub team have the knowledge, skills and expertise to allow them to listen and provide reassurance as well as the tools to get people back on their feet.”
Assistant Chief Constable Andy Freeburn said: “I am delighted to be appointed as a Trustee of the Cyber and Fraud Hub and have seen at first hand the success of collaborative working to combat fraud and keep people safe in the digital world.
“The Hub will be an invaluable resource and complement the support available from Police Scotland. It will deliver first-class education and partnership programmes to help communities and individuals build resilience against cybercrime and fraud and offer specialised support to those who have become a victim of cybercrime.”
If you, or someone you know, has been a victim of cyber or fraud crime, you can call the Cyber and Fraud Hub on 0800 1670 623, or visit www.cyberfraudcentre.com.
POLICE are appealing for the assistance of the public in sharing our appeal and tracing 79-year-old Michael Connolly who is missing from Seton Sands Holiday Park.
Michael, who is from Lochore, was last seen at the park around 6pm last night (Wednesday, 26 June, 2024).
He is described as around 5ft 8ins in height and of slim build with grey hair which is balding and stubble. When he was last seen he was wearing a blue jumper and blue t-shirt with black trousers and walking shoes.
Inspector Kenny McKenzie said: “We are extremely concerned for Michael’s safety and wellbeing.
“Searches and enquiries are ongoing to trace him as soon as possible to ensure that he is safe and well.
“I would urge anyone who has seen him or has any information regarding his whereabouts to contact us as soon as possible on 101 quoting reference number 3275 of 26 June.”
A 54-year-old man has been jailed for seven years following a multi-million pound scam in Edinburgh. Aasim Johar was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh today, Monday, 24 June, 2024.
He was previously found guilty on Friday, 24 May, 2024.
Johar defrauded the University of Edinburgh of over £3.3million between 2005 and 2015 through his role as a salesperson. The fraudulent scheme saw him earn commission through false and over-inflated invoices for cleaning products that were either not delivered or not required.
Detective Sergeant Gary Dalgleish, of the Financial Investigation Unit, said: “The sentence is the result of a long and complex investigation carried out by our officers. We have worked closely with the University and COPFS throughout the investigation and thank them greatly for their assistance.
“We recognise the significant and devastating impact that financial fraud can have on those that fall victim, which makes us all the more determined to identify and prosecute those responsible
“I’d like to take this opportunity to encourage the public to report fraud to us. We are committed to investigating all reports thoroughly and will bring those responsible to justice.”
You can find out more information and advice about fraud on our website here: https://www.scotland.police.uk/advice-and-information/scams-and-frauds/
New proposals to improve the planning and regulation of public processions and marches are to be introduced to uphold the rights of safe and peaceful assembly.
An Action Group, set up to consider how to better facilitate processions, has set out six recommendations in a newly published report, which have been accepted by the Scottish Government, the local authority group COSLA, and Police Scotland.
The recommendations include:
extending a pilot programme – following successful evaluation in April 2024 – to train stewards and marshalls to build their capacity to plan, prepare and manage processions and other forms of public gathering in a safe way
developing a minimum standard for information provided on the notification process for processions
providing consistent information on local authority websites that ensures transparency and confidentiality
statutory organisations, including local authorities, Police Scotland and the Scottish Government, to work together so information they provide relating to marches is clear and easy to understand
developing or improving training packages for local authority officials and elected members to enable the sharing of good practice to facilitate peaceful public processions and on how to protect human rights
consideration of an annual review mechanism that contributes to the sharing of best practice and learning of the management of processions.
Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said: “The Scottish Government established the Action Group to ensure that processions are conducted safely and peacefully across the country.
“I am grateful to the members of the group for these carefully considered recommendations, which represent the culmination of extensive work by partners.
“The freedom of peaceful assembly is a cornerstone of a democratic society and it is vital that the right training, planning and regulations are in place so processions run smoothly, while ensuring those attending and surrounding communities are kept safe.
“In accepting the recommendations of the Action Group’s report in full, what is clear is that achieving success must be a joint endeavour. We will work with Police Scotland, COSLA and members of the Group to implement the recommendations as quickly as possible.”
A COSLA spokesperson said: “COSLA has worked collaboratively with the Scottish Government and Police Scotland through the Action Group on Processions, to work through the conclusions and recommendations of the Report for the Short Life Working Group on Facilitating Peaceful Assembles.
“In April, the COSLA Community Wellbeing Board endorsed the recommendations of the Action Group, and COSLA Officers will continue to work with partners of the group to deliver these actions.”
Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie said: “Police Scotland is a rights based organisation.
“We welcome this report as we continue to work with our communities and partners to continually improve our practices and the awareness and visibility of the rights of those who wish to take part in processions.”
