Police turning up the heat on criminals over the summer

Chief Inspector Gill Geany is Area Commander for North East Edinburgh

In preparation for this, we are finalising our plans for Operation Drift, which is a partnership initiative aimed at tackling antisocial behaviour in the Portobello Beach area.

We’ll be working closely with our colleagues at HM Coastguard and Portobello Community Council on a on a beach safety project relating to signage, which we hope makes the area safer for the public, should they find themselves in an unfortunate situation in the water. Stay tuned for more details on this.

Sticking with the theme of antisocial behaviour, we continue to target activity across various regions of the North East where communities have helped us identify “hotspot” areas of concern. Weekend patrols in Leith Walk and Great Junction Street form part of our routine deployments and we are working closely with licensed premises to reassure the public and prevent criminality.

Antisocial behaviour was also raised as an issue at the park at Dalmeny street. In response, local community officer PC Clark helped set up the Dalmeny Park Friends Group, which is made up of local residents, young and old, with a view to make the area safer and less attractive for those intent on causing disorder.

This has resulted in a reduction in calls and we now plan to meet with partners at the Park Ranger Service, Parks Officer and Environmental Wardens to discuss how we can continue to make progress in this area.

Another positive note for the North East is that we have had 12 fewer housebreakings compared with last year. Tackling housebreaking continues to be one of Edinburgh’s top priorities and we will utilise all resources at our disposal to ensure the city remains a hostile environment for acquisitive crime offenders.

With the improved weather and longer evenings now upon us, it is important that our communities ensure their homes are appropriately secured when left unattended. Opening windows and doors to cool your home down can provide criminals with easy access, so always be vigilant. If you are heading out, lock up. Please also remember that sheds, garages, outbuildings and vehicles should be considered extensions of your home and should be given the same kind of security considerations.

I want to finish my column by reminding the public of our commitment to local engagement. On the last Friday of every month, local officers for North East Edinburgh host our Coffee With a Cop sessions, where you can meet and get advice from an officer, as well as share concerns on matters important to you in your neighbourhood. These take place at White House, Northfield Community Centre and The Ripple project at Restalrig Road. The benefits of communities engaging with the police were recently demonstrated when we recovered £4500 worth of drugs, £1600 in cash and a knife during a search in Lochend Road. Two people are in custody thanks to information we received. If you want to provide similar information, then contact us via 101 or at Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Chief Inspector Gill Geany is Area Commander for North East Edinburgh.