Award-winner Joy puts heart into policing - CI Sarah Taylor

I would like to start by recognising the achievements of PC Joy Millican, one of my response policing officers based at Drylaw Police Station, who was named Probationary Constable of the Year at the recent Force’s Bravery and Excellence Awards.

Chief Inspector Sarah Taylor, Local Area Commander, North West Edinburgh

Joy is an enthusiastic and valued member of my team and I know she takes great pride in serving our communities in the North West of Edinburgh.

My focus remains on what matters to you locally, such as tackling road safety concerns; reducing break ins to homes; acting upon intelligence in regard to drug dealing and focusing on violent crime and those causing harm in the area.

We recently launched a new campaign in conjunction with Crimestoppers to support our efforts to drive recorded crime down. Our communities have the right to feel safe and I understand that it can be difficult to talk about crime, particularly if close to home, however the damage caused means it is best to speak up, either by contacting police or Crimestoppers who can provide 100% anonymity.

Unfortunately there has been an increase in anti-social behaviour involving young people in the North West. I know this is a concern to many but crucially not all anti-social behaviour is solely a policing issue. That is why we are working with partners such as City of Edinburgh Council, local schools and youth groups to identify diversionary measures and support services for those young people most at risk of engaging in such behaviours.

Our own strategy, called Operation Pax, has seen the delivery of increased high visibility patrols at peak times, increased CCTV coverage in key locations and the delivery of educational inputs at local High Schools. Parents and guardians play a key role in addressing this behaviour and I would encourage them to ensure they are aware of their children’s whereabouts and activities.

Where we do continue to see positive reductions in reported crime, however, is with housebreaking and acquisitive crime.

On Monday 14 March, Police Scotland issued its Q3 Management of Information data for the period of 1 April 2021, to 31 December 2021 and this showed that there have been more than 700 fewer acquisitive crimes, including motor vehicle crime and theft from properties.

In addition, the total number of housebreakings and attempted break-ins occurring in the Capital have decreased from 1384, to 1108.

We cannot, however, become complacent in the face of this continued reduction and we will continue to do everything we can to provide our communities with all the necessary crime prevention advice they require to keep their homes and belongings safe. If you’d like to obtain any information on safeguarding your property then please visit www.scotland.police.uk.

I also want to take this opportunity to advise communities in the North West of the continued rise and prevalence of fraudulent schemes, particularly online scams, which are driving up the number of fraud incidents reported, both here in Edinburgh and nationally.

Police Scotland has developed its Cyber Strategy to help combat these offences and DCC Taylor has confirmed increased investment in this initiative. This will aid us with our investigation techniques and powers but please remain vigilant for anyone asking for access to your bank details or personal information online and never make any payment for any goods or services unless you are absolutely certain of the company’s authenticity. Once again, our website has a lot of useful information on staying safe online, so please visit it, if you want to view this advice.

CI Sarah Taylor, Local Area Commander for North West Edinburgh