Taking the right steps to make Edinburgh city centre a safer place - Steve Cardownie
Last week I wrote about the shocking racist attack on a Chinese student in Princes Street Gardens which led her to post that Edinburgh was a dangerous city.
While her reaction was understandable, given that she had just been punched in the face for the “crime” of being Chinese, I pointed out that Edinburgh was regarded as a safe city.
While it suffers from similar crimes that are committed in the centres of comparable cities throughout Europe, it is generally to a lesser degree. This is not to excuse the reprehensible actions of a moronic minority currently causing concern in the city centre, but to stress that we are not the worst.
For instance, on Monday, BBC Scotland reported on the incidence of crime in Glasgow city centre and it makes for grim reading.
First things first, I think Glasgow is a great city and have spent many a pleasant visit there, but it would appear that it does not have its problems to seek when it comes to anti-social behaviour in some city centre areas.
According to a BBC Freedom of Information request, figures reveal that last year there were more than 400 violent assaults in streets around what became a “dispersal zone” in March of this year and where police were given special powers to temporarily ban people, since which more than 1500 notices have been issued.
This paper reported last week that Edinburgh’s new City Centre Policing Unit, which is partially funded by money collected from the “tourist tax”, had arrested 49 people within its first month of operations who were charged with 114 offences, as well as seizing alcohol from the Hunter Square area on 47 occasions and issuing 20 recorded warnings.
According to Police Scotland “Over the last month over 2300 hours of patrol by CPU officers have taken place to engage with members of the public and businesses within the city centre, respond to intelligence relating to criminal activity and provide a high-visibility presence to deter offending”.
In addition,“A total of 208 youth interactions were carried out to engage with young people visiting the city centre and build strong relationships with this demographic to help deter offences such as antisocial behaviour.”
Given that the city’s population doubles during the summer festival season in August, it is little wonder that the opportunity this presents to petty criminals to exploit this ‘bonanza’ is irresistible.
Tourists in particular are targeted because they are fairly obvious, might have language difficulties, are in holiday mood and might be carrying high value items such as passports, cameras and smartphones, all of which makes them lucrative targets. Add that they are probably unlikely to hang around to testify in court and the attraction is obvious.
Although violent assaults are mercifully rare compared to pickpocketing and bag snatching, they are obviously no less traumatic for the innocent victim.
Edinburgh and Glasgow undoubtedly have areas in their respective centres which are problematic, and which are commanding the attention of the relevant authorities.
No city can be 100 per cent safe, but it is encouraging to note that steps have been taken by Edinburgh City Council and Police Scotland to make it just that bit safer.