Capital Cops: 'Back in business as Covid restrictions ease'- CI Murray Tait

Chief Inspector Murray Tait is North East Edinburgh Local Area Commander

With the easing of restrictions we have been able to get back to much of our face-to-face working with partners in the community. However, we remain cautious as it’s important to remember that the virus hasn’t gone away. We all need to be careful and continue to look after ourselves and each other.

September saw the return of our community surgeries along with bespoke events. Our community team attended Leith Forever where they were able to offer free bike marking and security advice. We also supported the World Suicide Prevention Week with a stall at Ocean Terminal. Working alongside partners, we were able to provide practical support and guidance to those who approached our stall on the day.

In association with the Community Alcohol Partnership, your community officer Pc Lauren Mitchell supported an event for young people at The Ripple Project.

A mocktail bar, run by Lauren, gave her an informal platform to engage with young people and discuss the harm that alcohol can cause and the importance of making positive choices.

Making our roads safer remains a key priority for Edinburgh Division. Over the last two months we have run a number of operations aimed at promoting road safety, whilst targeting criminality.

Working alongside Road Policing colleagues and our Special Constables, we ran Operation Close Pass to promote awareness of providing cyclists with safe space.

In addition, we worked with the DVLA and the Home Office to target criminality on the roads. Two days of intensive activity identified a number of road traffic and other offences, which included a 45-year-old man arrested and charged for being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs after a large quantity of Class B drugs and cash were seized.

As this year has flown by, it feels somewhat strange to be thinking about Bonfire Night already. Operation Crackle is Edinburgh’s initiative to keep the public and emergency service personnel safe during Bonfire Night and the surrounding days, and is supported by Police Scotland’s national public order response. Understandably there were no planned events held last year.

Planning for this year has been ongoing for a number of months. Local officers, assisted by national specialist resources, will be on patrol during this period to tackle any anti-social behaviour. There is a zero tolerance approach towards violence and threatening behaviour. I would encourage people to attend planned events and help us keep you, and everyone else, safe.

Please follow us on Twitter @EdinPolNE where you can keep up to date with all our activity in your local area.

Chief Inspector Murray Tait is North East Edinburgh Local Area Commander