Join us next week for our first online event of 2022 tailored to the LGBT+ community
The event will take place on MS Teams, on Tuesday 15/02/22 between 6.30pm & 8.00pm.
Register here – RecruitmentPositiveActionTeam@scotland.pnn.police.uk
Following complaints from residents and businesses in the Hawes Promenade area, local community officers and officers from Road Policing have been targeting the area to combat the antisocial use of vehicles and associated behaviour.
Sergeant Sandra Watt from the Community Policing Team at Corstorphine Police Station said: “Dealing with disorder and antisocial behaviour is a priority for us in Edinburgh. We’ve been made aware by the local community of antisocial behaviour issues in the Hawes Promenade area involving vehicles, and we’ve responded with a dedicated initiative.
“We are focussing on engagement, deterrence, disruption and where necessary enforcement by conducting both high visibility and plain clothe patrols in marked and unmarked vehicles. During the weekend of 29th and 30th January we engaged with over 50 drivers and issued an antisocial behaviour warning.
“On Friday 4th February 2022, our Road Policing colleagues implemented a road check at the Hawkes Pier car park. Twenty two cars were stopped, checked for defects and advice was given to drivers with regards to driving and parking in a considerate manner. One driver was charged with careless driving.
“Our Community Policing Teams will continue to work with our Road Policing colleagues and our partners at the City of Edinburgh Council to deal with the antisocial use of vehicles in the area”
Anyone with information regarding criminal or antisocial behaviour in their area can contact Police Scotland through 101, our website scotland.police.uk/contact-us or the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Following an increase in antisocial behaviour in the Ferry Road and Telford areas, Operation PAX was instigated – deploying dedicated teams of police officers at key times focussing on engagement, deterrence, disruption and where necessary enforcement.
As a result of recent investigations and working closely with partner agencies at #StrongerNorth an 18-year-old man has been charged with 22 offences and a 15-year-old boy charged with 25 offences relating to antisocial behaviour in the local area.
Police ask that parents and carers speak with their children and young people about the impact of antisocial behaviour to ensure our local community continues to be a safe place to live and work.
Support from members of the public is also vital in helping Police quickly identify those engaging in this behaviour they urge anyone who witnesses an incident to contact them immediately.
Anyone with information regarding antisocial behaviour in their area can contact Police Scotland through 101, the website scotland.police.uk/contact-us or the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Police officers investigating a robbery at a shop in the Tollcross area have arrested and charged two men.
At around 10.45pm on Thursday, 6 January 2022, a 24-year-old man was walking on Spey Street when he was approached and taken back to the store where he worked on Leven Street. A four-figure sum of cash was then take from the store.
Two men, aged 26 and 28, have been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.
They are both due to appear in Edinburgh Sheriff Court today (Thursday, 3 February, 2022). A report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait from Edinburgh Division CID, said: “We would like to thank the public for their assistance following our appeal.”
Scottish Environment Protection Agency staff and their work tackling waste crime will be featured as part of investigative journalism programme BBC Disclosure tonight (Monday 31 January) at 7pm.
The programme titled ‘Dirty Business’ will delve into criminal waste activities – ranging from ‘man with a van’ flytipping and waste being burnt in a drum to large scale illegal activities with links to serious organised crime such as abandoned lorry trailers bursting with up to 41 tonnes of waste and illegal landfills.
The documentary sees BBC presenter Sam Poling shadowing staff on complex investigations including a site visit to an unidentified location, where a criminal gang has buried large amounts of waste underground resulting in environmental impact from the release of harmful gases and liquids as the illegal deposit degrades.
Sam also accompanies SEPA staff to a non-compliant site and on a site visit to a legitimate waste operator to see how businesses should be operating to stay within the law and discovers how criminals undercutting these types of businesses can impact on the industry.
Waste crime has a serious and detrimental impact on the environment, communities and compliant businesses, costing Scottish taxpayers tens of millions a year in clean-up costs, avoided tax and lost revenue.
Dedicated enforcement
As part of its ongoing commitment to tackle environmental crime and as an environment protection agency ready to tackle the challenges of the 21st Century, SEPA launched a dedicated intelligence and enforcement function in October 2019 to deal with those types of growing activities.
SEPA’S investigative waste enforcement work includes the monitoring of over 234 active cases including 31 high priority sites, some linked to serious and organised crime activities.
We work closely with partners such as Police Scotland, the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, Serious Organised Crime Task Force and cross border agencies to share information and work together to use powers that partners have to tackle this behaviour, using the latest technologies to help ensure we detect criminal activity and have the most accurate picture possible.
Working together in this way means that we can make it harder for criminals to get a foot in legitimate waste businesses, and where these sites have appeared it will become easier to require those responsible to clean them up.
Waste crime stifles legitimate businesses’ opportunities to innovate and improve our environment and there is a need to continue attracting the right businesses to Scotland that will contribute to our economic growth while protecting and enhancing our environment.
Members of the public and businesses must start thinking of ways to do things differently to limit opportunities for criminals to operate and gain a greater awareness of what happens to their waste.
SEPA works with businesses to help them achieve compliance and understand their obligations and Digital Waste Tracking is one of the innovations which could help make compliance easier and help individuals and businesses to track what happens to their waste.
Jennifer Shearer, Head of Enforcement at SEPA, said: “We are warning criminals – your activities are firmly in the spotlight and compliance with Scotland’s environmental laws is non-negotiable. Our dedicated enforcement unit is focussing our efforts on tackling the most serious non-compliance and illegal activity.
“Waste crime is best tackled on a preventative level and this involves a ‘Team Scotland’ partner led approach. By taking part in this programme we aim to highlight the extensive work that SEPA does and make everyone aware of duties they have in assisting in the disruption of these types of activity.
“For us deterring waste crime will take more than issuing fines and taking prosecutions where possible. It requires Scotland to realise the potential in developing vacant and derelict land for better use, engage in multi-agency partnerships and nurture urban and rural communities.
“In Scotland, businesses committed to doing the right thing by our environment will find a regulator that supports innovation and excellence. For those who do the wrong thing they’ll find a regulator that won’t hesitate to act. It is vital that businesses and individuals realise their duty of care, as the best way to stop waste criminals is to cut off their routes to make money.
“Criminals are resourceful, inventive and will find new ways to break the law – especially when money is involved, but Scotland’s enforcement agencies are working together to make sure we find them and stop them.”
Cabinet Secretary for Justice Keith Brown said: “The Scottish Government and partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce are fully committed to disrupting those who see waste disposal as a money-making enterprise that sits alongside other crime types such as violence, drugs, weapons and money laundering.
“These criminals will do anything to increase their wealth through undermining legitimate waste businesses and tricking unsuspecting customers. Partners on the taskforce will use every means at their disposal to ensure these illegal practices stop and that those who dump waste illegally are held accountable.”
Phil Davies, Joint Unit for Waste Crime Manager, said: “The Joint Unit for Waste Crime works to disrupt serious and organised waste crime to reduce the impact on the economy, the environment and local communities.
“Our strength lies in bringing together agencies from across the UK, including the Environment Agency; Natural Resources Wales; the Scottish Environment Protection Agency; the Northern Ireland EA; the police; HMRC; the National Fire Chiefs Council; the British Transport Police and the National Crime Agency.
“Working together as the Joint Unit, we share intelligence and enforcement to more quickly identify, disrupt and deter criminals and make them pay for the damage they inflict on communities and the environment.”
Executive Director of the Environmental Services Association, Jacob Hayler, said: “Waste crime threatens the natural environment, costs the public purse millions of pounds a year and severely undermines investment in responsible, legitimate, recycling and waste treatment operations.
“The Environmental Services Association is highly supportive of robust enforcement action, greater deterrents and tougher penalties on these criminals, who unfortunately all too often view our sector as a soft target.”
Allan MacGregor a member of the Resource Management Association Scotland (RMAS) Management Committee and Chief Executive of the Binn Group, said: “Unscrupulous operators undermine legitimate businesses, stifle investment, and create an uneven playing field.
“We therefore fully support any efforts to crack down on illegal waste dumping activities and stop waste criminals from operating within our industry.”
How you can help
Everyone can help tackle waste crime by refusing to engage waste service providers who are not licenced by, or registered with SEPA, and by checking that the person offering to pick up their waste is a registered waste carrier. You should ask for evidence of this and then ask where they will dispose of the waste and ensure this is a legitimate licensed site. Failing to make these checks is illegal.
Services that sound too good to be true often are – and could lead to waste being illegally fly-tipped or disposed of by other illegitimate means. For criminals carrying out these activities, illegal waste disposal and fly tipping is a serious offence with significant consequences and those caught risk a criminal conviction and a fine and/or imprisonment. SEPA can also issue Variable Monetary Penalties of up to £40,000 as an enforcement tool.
Everyone can assist by being vigilant and reporting any suspicious activity such as:
Members of the public can report suspicious sites and behaviours to SEPA 24 hours a day, seven days a week through our pollution hotline online, sepa.org.uk/report, or call 0800 80 70 60.
Police Scotland is urging the public to remain vigilant for an ongoing fraudulent banking scam involving people impersonating police officers.
Between October 2021 and January 2022, over 30 reports have been received from members of the public, who have either been visited or contacted by individuals claiming to be Police Scotland officers.
On each occasion, the victim was contacted by telephone from someone claiming to be from a bank fraud department and advised that their bank account had been compromised. They were then requested to either transfer money remotely to another account online or attend at a bank and remove cash, which would later be collected by a police officer.
While not every attempt to extort money was successful, those responsible defrauded a number of victims across Forth Valley, Fife, Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Tayside, Ayrshire and the Scottish Borders.
More than £300,000 has been defrauded from victims and inquiries to identify those responsible are ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to come forward.
In the meantime, police are offering advice to stop people falling victim to this scam and will be leafleting across Scotland to help educate communities on how police will engage with the public in person, over the phone and online.
Superintendent Hilary Sloan from Partnerships, Prevention and Community Wellbeing Division said: “While there are a number of ways police officers may look to contact you, please be mindful of this scam and always be suspicious of any unexpected contact.
“If you receive such a call, or visit, ask for the officer’s details and which department they work for. If the contact is by telephone, hang up and if possible use a different phone to contact the police service via 101, where you will speak to genuine members of Police Scotland and can request police officer verification.
“We began a national roll-out of new identification cards, which feature an up-to-date picture of the officer, along with other key information and various security enhancements that make them extremely difficult to replicate. This roll-out was started in October 2021 and all police officers should be able to provide this identification when carrying out legitimate police business.
“If you receive an email claiming to be from Police Scotland with a link to an external site to make a payment, this may also be fraudulent. Be aware of phishing scams and verify that any link provided is genuine. If you receive something claiming to be from us requesting any form of payment, contact us via 101 to investigate this matter before parting with your money.
“We are treating this ongoing scam with the utmost seriousness and have officers around the country pursuing various lines of inquiry.”
Those with information can contact Police Scotland via 101. Alternatively, an anonymous report can be made to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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.
Please email us at RecruitmentPositiveActionTeam@scotland.pnn.police.uk to register.
A new hard-hitting campaign launched today by The Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland asks drivers to wear a seatbelt and warns that not wearing one could cost them their lives – having a devastating impact on the loved ones they leave behind.
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.”
