In shape for a busy Festival summer in the city - Murray Tait

With the Edinburgh International Festival now underway, our Operation City policing campaign has also launched.

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

With a full schedule of events not seen since pre-Covid, it is sure to be an extremely busy period and we are delighted to have so many visitors coming to our city.

It is no surprise, therefore, that the population of the capital is expected to double for the next six weeks, with almost one million people expected to visit or stay in Edinburgh over the coming month. As such, police will have a high-visibility presence within the city centre throughout August and will be on-hand to offer reassurance to the public, deter criminal activity and address any incidents that may arise.

Edinburgh’s city centre is part of the South East so many of our Community and Response Officers are part of the Summer City operation and will be supported by colleagues from other areas of the Capital, as well as from neighbouring divisions and specialist functions from across Police Scotland.

If you plan on visiting the city centre please be on the lookout for our very own ‘Unofficial Fringe Venues 999’. Our mobile police stations will be based in Hunter Square and East Princes Street Gardens and our policing team will be on hand to offer crime prevention advice, assist with enquiries regarding lost and found property. Members of the public can also report a crime as well as the traditional methods for contacting police.

Please remember that the city will be extremely busy during this period so please plan ahead, consider how you plan to travel in and out of the city and keep yourself safe.

You can keep up to date with all that’s going on and crime prevention advice on our social media channels by following Edinburgh Police Division on Facebook and @EdinburghPolice on Twitter.

Elsewhere is the South East, your local policing teams have been out and about ensuring safe and responsible road use. We frequently receive complaints from members of the local community regarding speeding and other road matters.

Over June and July we conducted numerous Road Policing operations in the Southside, with a particular focus on the Liberton and Gilmerton areas. Through the use of static road checks and speed detection equipment a large number of vehicles were stopped, relevant advice given where appropriate and a number of motorists charged for a variety of offences.

This also proved to be a great learning opportunity for our new probationary officers who have arrived within the Division having completed their first stage of training.

Finally on the note of our probationers, policing remains a fantastic, challenging yet thoroughly rewarding career. With no two days being the same, a multitude of specialist skills to learn it and a genuine sense of pride and achievement in keeping our communities safe, I would encourage anyone who may be interested to visit the Police Scotland website for further information, upcoming events and information on our recruitment process.

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