Donald Anderson: Edinburgh deserves safer streets

Fireworks should light up the sky, not become weapons aimed at police officers, firefighters, bus drivers or neighbours.

Edinburgh must support tough action against anyone who turns a celebration into an exercise in intimidation.

The same principle applies to all antisocial behaviour. People deserve to travel, work and enjoy their neighbourhoods without harassment. Those responsible must face consequences, with determined enforcement and effective action against repeat offenders.

But expecting the police to deliver more with fewer resources is unsustainable. Edinburgh has too few officers for the demands placed upon Scotland’s capital. Visible community policing builds confidence, gathers intelligence and prevents trouble before it escalates.

Former Lothian and Borders deputy chief constable Tom Wood has warned about more than £1 billion being stripped from policing through savings since the creation of Police Scotland. His warning deserves attention.

I welcome visitor levy funding helping to plug that gap through Edinburgh’s new city centre policing unit, freeing resources for other neighbourhoods. Tourism is helping sustain a safer city for everyone.

Craigmillar shows what can be achieved when enforcement is matched by outstanding work with young people. Police, youth workers, community organisations and volunteers have built relationships, provided worthwhile alternatives and challenged destructive behaviour.

The results deserve recognition. A Scottish Government report highlighted mentoring and engagement involving around 50 young people from Craigmillar and Niddrie, none of whom were subsequently reported involved in disorder. That is a powerful lesson: sustained engagement can help change behaviour and protect communities.

We should back that approach across Edinburgh, while recognising that preventing violence also means restricting access to its tools.

The time has come to ban the sale of fireworks to the general public and confine their use to properly organised displays. Families could still enjoy the spectacle, with trained operators, clear safeguards and advance notice for residents. The distress caused to vulnerable people, pets and wildlife strengthens that case.

My hope is that the good work being done by the council, police and communities such as Craigmillar continues to grow, bringing lasting improvements and ensuring that people in every Edinburgh neighbourhood can feel safe.