Drylaw Telford Community Council is to meet local police tomorrow following a spike in antisocial incidents across the area.
Recent weeks have seen two serious street attacks in Wester Drylaw along with a number of other incidents of vandalism including refuse bins being set on fire.
The community council was alerted to one incident by an Easter Drylaw woman last month: “My neighbours house (unoccupied) was set fire to last night by kids setting fire to wheeliebins.
“I had 4 small children in my house petrified and screaming as we couldn’t get out our front floor for flames. It is same group of kids constantly causing trouble in street cutting through street to skate park.
“I have had my windows smashed, fire posted through letter box and glass bottles thrown at my dogs. Its getting our of hand last night luckily someone seen the fire taking real hold last night or a dread to think what the outcome would have been today. It is now putting peoples lives in danger. What has happened to this area?”
The community council has now been able to arrange a virtual meeting with local police officers to discuss community concerns. The meeting will take place via Microsoft Teams tomorrow evening at 7pm.
If you would like to submit question to local police or you are interested in attending the meeting, please contacr vickynicolsondtcc@hotmail.com or visit Drylaw Telford Community Council’s Facebook page.
Chief Superintendent Mark Sutherland, Police Scotland’s Divisional Commander for Greater Glasgow, issued a statement last night following the scenes across Glasgow as Rangers fans celebrated their title victory:
“During the evening of Saturday, 15 May 2021, Rangers supporters continued to gather and celebrate the awarding of the league championship trophy in George Square.
“Throughout the day Police Scotland had managed the gathering appropriately tackling anti-social behaviour and encouraging dispersal under Scottish Government Coronavirus regulations.
“As celebrations continued sections of the crowd became increasingly disorderly, property was damaged and people were assaulted. Our officers became the focus of the crowd’s attention with missiles and flares being thrown at them. Our policing response has been proportionate. We have responded appropriately and consistently to the behaviour of those gathered.
“This disgraceful behaviour which clearly endangered public and officer safety could not be tolerated and officers dressed in full public order equipment and, after appropriate warnings were given, moved in to disperse those present.
“Although most of those present dispersed, a number remained and confronted officers with violence and aggression. Missiles were thrown and officers came under direct attack as George Square and the surrounding area was cleared.
“I strongly condemn the behaviour of these supporters who have not only placed our officers at risk but have sought to damage the image and reputation of this great city, especially during this critical period of the pandemic.
“I would like to place on record my thanks to the police and partners who manged this incident, especially those officers who put themselves in danger to bring this violent and disorderly gathering to an end.
“So far we know that three officers have been injured and more than 20 people have been arrested.
“We will be continuing our enquiries and my message is clear that if you have been involved in these ugly scenes then we you will be identified and arrested.”
Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said last night:
Rangers FC have yet to make a public statement on last night’s events, and neither SPFL or the SFA have commented so far.
Police Scotland has once again partnered with a national security company to help tackle bike thefts as part of the ongoing Pedal Protect campaign.
Selectamark Security Systems PLC, which owns BikeRegister, have previously provided the service with a number of their SelectaDNA tagging spray kits, which were used successfully in Edinburgh to address the issue of crimes being committed on motorcycles.
In addition SelectaDNA property marking kits weredeployed as part of Operation Kapel, which took place within the Gorbals area of Glasgow and reduced housebreaking by 100%.
Prior to the launch of Pedal Protect, each local policing division within Police Scotland received a free BikeRegister starter kit from Selectamark to establish if they would be of use to the campaign.
Now, divisions have begun ordering various quantities of these kits to distribute to communities across the country free of charge.
The kit contains two highly durable and tamper-resistant QR barcode labels, which can be scanned with a smart phone to identify your bike on the BikeRegister website, and determine whether it is stolen.
Each kit marks one bike and serves as a visible deterrent, as well as providing police with an enhanced investigative tool in the event a cycle is stolen and subsequently recovered.
Pedal Protect was launched on Friday, 26 March, 2021 and the initiative aims to reduce a national rise in bike thefts throughout Scotland by providing the public with a range of crime prevention and security advice, as well as offering services such as bike marking and registering at various locations.
In addition, policing teams will continue to carry out evidence gathering and enforcement activity to bring bike thieves to justice and reunite stolen cycles with their rightful owners.
Superintendent Matt Paden, Police Scotland’s Acquisitive Crime Lead, said: “On a number of previous occasions, we have successfully worked with Selectamark Security Systems to reduce various crime trends that have occurred in Scotland.
“We are confident this latest partnership will also be equally beneficial, not only to our investigative approaches, but to deterring and preventing bike crimes taking place in the first instance.
“Registering your bike on the BikeRegister is of vital importance to ensuring that, in the event, your cycle is taken, that we have all opportunities at our disposal to get it back to you. I’d encourage all members of the cycling community to visit www.bikeregister.com for more information on the BikeRegister or to request your own personal membership kit.”
James Brown, Managing Director of Selectamark, said: “Police Scotland continues to work tirelessly to reduce bike crime and have used BikeRegister bike marking kits for many operations across the country to tackle cycle theft.
“Not only does BikeRegister help reduce instances of cycle theft, but it also enables cyclists to be reunited with their bikes after they have been stolen.
“Police Scotland are one of the top forces for recovering stolen bikes which they have achieved through their own operational methods including working closely with second-hand cycle shops to make sure they are checking BikeRegister before they buy and sell cycles to ensure they are not registered as stolen.
“We would also encourage all cycle retailers to play their part in the fight against bike crime and mark and register all new bikes they sell.”
Police officers will be carrying out focused patrols following a recent increase in antisocial behaviour at Ocean Terminal
Community Inspector Colin Fordyce of Craigmillar Police Station said: “We’ve seen an increase in antisocial behaviour incidents at Ocean Terminal recently involving groups of youths.
“One of our priorities in Edinburgh is dealing with disorder and antisocial behaviour. We will be focusing our patrols in and around Ocean Terminal to tackle the issue with a zero tolerance approach. Enforcement action will be taken if anyone is identified as being involved in any criminal behaviour.
“Our local residents and businesses have had a tough enough time recently, and it’s not acceptable for them to have to put up with the reckless behaviour of a small minority of youths intent on causing trouble.
“I ask that all parents and carers speak with their children and young people about the impact that antisocial behaviour has on others.
“If you see any criminality in the area, call 101, or 999 in an emergency to help us hold offenders to account. Information can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
A second cohort of Edinburgh Napier students have been sworn in as Special Constables. The six students, all following courses in the School of Applied Sciences, can now go out on the frontline and join Police Scotland community teams.
They follow in the footsteps of five fellow Edinburgh Napier students who completed an on-campus training programme a year ago and have nowracked up around 2700 hours of police service.
Special Constable training requires a combination of face-to-face and online inputs over a series of several weeks.
The in-house programme was devised to meet a growing demand from students to get involved as Special Constables and from Police Scotland to increase the numbers of Special Constables. Edinburgh Napier’s Dr Andrew Wooff worked with Police Scotland to adapt the training to allow it to be built into the students’ timetable.
The first five students undertook their training every Wednesday at Edinburgh Napier’s Sighthill campus, allowing them all to continue their studies and work part-time as they trained.
The training for the second cohort was further adjusted, with elements of the programme moving online to take into account Covid-19-related social distancing requirements. The students used online programmes to get to grips with legislation, while learning about the more physical aspects of the role at the Tulliallan-based Scottish Police College.
Dr Wooff, Associate Professor of Criminology at Edinburgh Napier, said: “It’s great to see another six Special Constables sworn in and able to assist Police Scotland.
“The training is demanding and takes commitment, but the students find it very rewarding and we have tailored it to fit round their studies as best we can. These students will now be involved in supporting the police in a wide range of roles.
“This training scheme has been so successful that we are now looking at replicating it across universities and colleges from September, where students from all institutions will train online and in person together.
“This will hopefully enhance the programme further and allow more students from across Scotland to access the opportunity of becoming a Special Constable more easily.”
The Special Constable role is diverse, demanding and rewarding. New recruits can be doing anything from policing a football match to assisting at a road accident.
Special Constables also police major sporting and public events and provide an excellent bridge between the police service and the public, representing both the community within the police service and the police service In local communities.
Chief Inspector Claire Miller said: “I am delighted to welcome six new students from Edinburgh Napier into Police Scotland’s Special Constabulary.
“I am well aware of the significant time and effort that is required to complete the training programme, which is over and above their other studies, and I would like to thank them for their ongoing commitment and wish them every success in their frontline deployments.
“I would also like to thank Dr Andrew Wooff for working with Police Scotland to adapt the training, to allow it to be built into the students’ timetable, especially during such a challenging year.
“Police Scotland undoubtedly benefits from the experience our volunteers bring, however we also believe that the Special Constabulary offers an exceptional opportunity where you can gain confidence, acquire new skills and truly make a difference in improving the safety and wellbeing of people, places and communities in Scotland.
“I hope the students who became Special Constables last year have discovered this during the extraordinary number of hours they have volunteered for so far. Their dedication during the past year has been outstanding and is greatly appreciated.
“I wish our new recruits the very best for their future journey within Police Scotland”
For more information on joining the Special Constabulary, visit:
Police Scotland has arrested and charged a further three men in connection with an incident on Wester Drylaw Drive, Edinburgh, on Tuesday, 9 March, in which a 35-year-old man was found seriously injured.
The three men, aged 24, 42 and 47, are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today (Wednesday, 12 May).
A 38-year-old man and 49-year-old man were also arrested and charged in connection with the incident and were due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on 17 March and 22 March respectively
Appeal to trace van driver who hit car on city bypass and drove off
Police are asking the driver of a white van which was involved in a minor crash with a black BMW on the A720, city bypass, just before the Old Craighall junction, to get in touch.
The incident happened at around 5.25pm on Thursday, 6 May as both vehicles were driving eastbound. The driver of a white Renault van has cut in from lane two to lane one and on doing so has hit the BMW, causing damage to vehicle and then continued on its journey east on the A720. The driver and his teenage passenger in the car were uninjured.
Anyone who was driving on the A720 on Thursday evening and could have dash cam footage of the incident, or who saw either vehicle prior too, or after the collision, if asked to contact officers.
The driver of the van is asked to contact police as soon as possible. Those who can help should contact Police Scotland via 101 and quote incident number 2417 of 6 May
A Which? investigation has found that doorstep scammers are back in business after lockdown restrictions – and these ruthless fraudsters are using new coronavirus scams to target the most vulnerable.
According to Action Fraud data, £18.7 million was lost to doorstep crime in 2020 alone. With many in-person scams believed to go unreported, the true figures could be even higher.
Doorstep scams can come in many forms. For example, fraudsters might offer building, gardening or home improvement services and then overcharge for or never complete the work. Fraudsters also often pose as salespeople or charity workers as a means of parting people from their hard-earned cash.
The number of reports to police for this type of fraud in April 2020 was 46 per cent lower than April 2019 as doorstep sellers were banned during the lockdown. However, by summer 2020, reports of doorstep scams had returned to pre-pandemic levels, with fewer restrictions stopping fraudsters from going out.
Which? research has found that scammers have exploited vulnerable people’s uncertainty and isolation during the lockdowns and used the pandemic as an opportunity to create new coronavirus frauds and recycle old scams.
A survey of 1,186 Which? members found that 16 per cent have received unsolicited visits from someone claiming to be a salesperson or charity worker since the start of the first lockdown.
9 per cent said that they felt the visitor was pressuring them into making a purchase or performing a certain action, such as donating.
Although Which? doesn’t know how many of these visits were scams, even genuine doorstep selling can leave consumers at a disadvantage. These unexpected visits can also be unnerving – especially for elderly or vulnerable people or if the salesperson is particularly pushy.
Which? member William Grayson, 81, lives alone in Weston-super-Mare, a 40 minute drive from his closest relatives.
William was visited at his home by two volunteers from a ‘Covid support group’ who offered to do shopping and errands for him while he was shielding. He gave the young couple £200 cash over two visits for food and home essentials but never got his shopping. He said: “Realising these people were out to get me made a dark time even darker for me to be honest.”
Which? has heard from other victims across the UK who have been targeted by fraudsters claiming to be from local NHS services offering fast-track testing and vaccines, collecting donations for fake charities and selling vitamin pills that ‘protect against’ Covid-19.
NHS services across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland continue to stress that all testing and vaccine services are free of charge, and nobody will ever turn up at someone’s home without warning. Those being vaccinated at home will likely be contacted in advance by their local NHS service, or regular district nurse, to arrange an appointment.
An increase in home improvement projects during lockdown provided scammers with new opportunities to rehash old scams.
Over a third (37%) of Which? members surveyed who had an unsolicited door knock said it was someone offering home improvement services.
When two landscapers turned up at Lucy’s, whose name has been changed, front door in Maidenhead last July, offering to tidy up her front garden, she didn’t think it was unusual that they’d asked for the money up front.
She explained: “They said they’d been working on my neighbour’s garden and thought mine looked like it could do with a bit of TLC. It was funny because I’d recently been admiring my neighbour’s new front garden.”
Lucy later found out they weren’t the same traders that had worked on her neighbour’s garden. She has since given up hope of getting any money back.
Unfortunately for Lucy, victims are unlikely to get their money back if they’ve handed over cash.
Cash transactions are also untraceable which makes the perpetrators harder to track down and bring to justice.
Which? advises consumers against buying from unsolicited doorstep sellers. This applies to anyone that calls by who isn’t expected, or who consumers haven’t made an appointment for, such as water or electric meter readings or gas engineers.
If there are any safety fears, police and Trading Standards advise calling 999. This also goes for particularly aggressive traders.
It is banned practice for a trader to refuse to leave your property if you’ve asked, although this may be justified under some circumstances, such as to enforce a contractual obligation.
Consumers should also sign up to Which?’s scam alert service in order to familiarise themselves with some of the latest tactics used by fraudsters, particularly given the explosion of scams since the coronavirus crisis.
Adam French, Which? Consumer Rights Expert, said: “It’s highly concerning that doorstep scammers are back in business and looking to exploit the pandemic in every way they can. We all need to be wary of anyone who knocks on our door unexpectedly.
“Adopting a blanket policy not to buy goods or services offered at the door is a sure-fire way to stop any would-be fraudsters in their tracks. However, if you do decide to purchase something at your door, you should ask the seller for their ID or call the company to verify their identity before making any payments.
“If you encounter a fraudster, you should report this to Action Fraud in England or call Policing Scotland on 101 in Scotland and if you have any safety fears, dial 999 immediately.”
Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, a significant portion of incidents Edinburgh CID dealt with occurred outdoors and in public spaces.
Typically, these would be reports of serious assault and other violent crime, robbery and sexual offences, often late into the evening. As you can imagine, alcohol and substance abuse often plays a pivotal role in many of these offences.
However, with licensed premises closed for large portions of the past year, and people advised to stay within their homes, there have been significantly lower numbers of such crimes taking place in the public sphere.
That is not to say that crimes of violence and sexual assault have stopped, it means however many may now be taking place behind closed doors and away from the gaze of others.
Our work becomes all the more important in these instances to protect vulnerable people from harm and bring offenders to justice and I would therefore appeal to all members of our communities to contact police immediately if you have concerns relating to potential criminal activity taking place within the home setting.
Alternatively make an anonymous report to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 as there’s a key role our community can play here.Since lockdown restrictions began easing, we have already, sadly seen a return to some of the typical crimes that take place outdoors, particularly during warm weather.
My officers continue to investigate these incidents, which included various people being assaulted. This takes significant level of resourcing and staffing hours and the unacceptable behaviour of a small minority of troublemakers will not be tolerated. I would like to thank the public for the positive response regarding this incident to date.
The summer months also tend to see a rise in bogus workmen offences and in the past week we’ve had reports of men aged between 25 and 40, with Middlesbrough accents, calling at doors attempting to sell goods.
Our advice is to exercise caution where you have concern, refuse whatever goods or services individuals like this are offering, do not allow them entry to your home and ask them to leave before calling police and providing all relevant details of the suspects, including what kind of vehicle they were travelling in.
Proactive disruption activity is a vital tactic we utilise to hamper the operations of crime groups and we regularly undertake enforcement activity aimed at seizing drugs, weapons and other illicit items.
Our efforts can only be successful, however, if we have the support of our communities and so if you have information about ongoing criminality in your area then please get in touch.
I want to finish off by raising awareness of an offence that is becoming more prevalent, not only in Edinburgh, but across the UK.
I am referring to county lines and cuckooing, where criminals from outside this region set up shop in order to commit illegal activities, particularly the sale of drugs in our communities.
On occasions, vulnerable people often living alone will be targeted through threats and intimidation and their properties will be used as a base of operation for criminals, which can often be pretty overt and noticeable to neighbours.
If you have any concerns at all that a person or group of people are committing crimes in your community, possibly within the home of a vulnerable person, then please report the matter to police immediately.
Detective Chief Inspector Graham Grant, Edinburgh CID.
Following an increase in antisocial behaviour in Portobello recently, local officers will be carrying out focused patrols this weekend.
Local community Sergeant Suzie Sandbach of Craigmillar Police Station said: “Officers responded to a number of incidents of anti-social behaviour involving groups of youths in Portobello last weekend.
“Dealing with disorder and antisocial behaviour is a policing priority in Edinburgh and I’d like to reassure residents, visitors and business owners in Portobello that there will be an increased police presence over the coming weekends to disrupt anyone intent on causing trouble.
“Our open spaces and beaches can now be enjoyed by the wider community and beyond, but sadly this can be ruined by the reckless behaviour of a small minority which is often fuelled by alcohol, and will not be tolerated.
“Local officers will continue to remain visible in the area, on mobile, foot or cycle patrol and I ask that if you see any criminality in the area help us hold offenders to account by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.”
Councillors yesterday gave the green light for £450K funding to install temporary public toilets in busy parks and other ‘hotspot’ areas in Edinburgh like the Meadows and Portobello.
Environment Convener Lesley Macinnes, said:“As the weather gets warmer and we ease out of lockdown our beautiful parks, beaches and other open spaces are going to be busier than ever.
“I’m really pleased Council agreed this funding today allowing us to respond so quickly to provide these much needed facilities over the summer months. We’ll publicise the list of temporary public toilets as soon as we have it.”
