Operation Summer City is here to help - Chief Inspector Murray Tait

As the Local Area Commander for the South East of Edinburgh, which includes the city centre, my column comes at an opportune time, as it allows me to focus on Operation Summer City, which launched for 2023 this week.

Chief Inspector Murray Tait, Local Area Commander, South East Edinburgh

Operation Summer City us our annual policing campaign aimed at keeping the public safe throughout the Edinburgh International Festival, Fringe and Military Tattoo.

This operation has been running for several years now and we have a wealth of experience in ensuring the month long events pass without serious incident. In addition the resources we deploy are committed to working closely with event organisers and the wider city communities to deter crime and mitigate against disruption to those not involved in, or attending the festivities.

A key strand of our Summer City strategy is public engagement and we will have an enhanced policing presence throughout the city centre to engage with tourists and local residents alike to offer a range of useful crime prevention advice and public safety information. If anyone within the Capital needs any assistance with a policing matter, please approach any of our dedicated patrols, who will be more than happy to help.

If you would like to obtain any of our helpful information before coming to any of the Festival attractions, then please visit our website www.scotland.police.uk. Alternatively, the Police Scotland Edinburgh Division Facebook and Twitter accounts will be running all of this information over the course of the month so please give them a follow.

The benefit of a single police service is that we can call upon a range of resources from across the Police Scotland family. Supporting local officers, we will have colleagues from neighbouring policing divisions, as well as national and specialist units, such as Road Policing and Mounted Branch. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in Operation Summer City in advance for their support and professionalism throughout the coming weeks.

While we will be doing our utmost to keep people safe, the public have a vital role to play in helping us achieve our goal by following some simple steps, such as planning your journey in advance, staying with friends and family when out and about and holding onto your belongings and personal possessions at all times.

The rest of the South East can rest assured that we continue to have appropriate resources in place that are not aligned to Operation Summer City and will be available each and every day to respond appropriately to all incidents and events occurring in the region.

Chief Inspector Murray Tait, Local Area Commander, South East Edinburgh