Chief Inspector Bob Paris has defended Police Scotland’s performance in the city centre, and advised Broughton locals to get a sense of proportion when it comes to anti-social behaviour.
Addressing the latest meeting of the New Town and Broughton Community Council, Paris (area commander for central Edinburgh) claimed the new unified Force has done well, particularly given Holyrood’s requirement that it should make very substantial savings.
He also praised its effectiveness in maintaining police numbers to the extent it has. There are now an extra nine City of Edinburgh Council-funded community officers in the city centre every day of the year, and Leith has an additional four.
These officers can, of course, be deployed elsewhere at moments of crisis.
However, Paris conceded that resources remain stretched, particularly on weekend nights when he reckons he needs 120 officers but has only 48. There are certainly too few officers available to maintain a more permanent presence on burglary-blighted Dundas Street.
Paris went on to acknowledge growing concerns among locals about a perceived upturn in anti-social behaviour, on-street drinking and begging in Big Foot Territory around Picardy Place and the top of Broughton Street.
‘It’s definitely on our radar,’ he said.
But the scale of the problem here is exceeded five or six times by that experienced around South Bridge and Nicholson Street.
Officers would continue to monitor, enforce bylaws on alcohol, issue fixed penalty notices where appropriate and enforce exclusion zones. But they would do so using discretion and tolerance.
Begging, he reminded listeners, was not in itself a criminal offence. Police record instances, and whenever possible refer those responsible for it to relevant agencies that can help.
Statistics
To several NTBCC members’ surprise, Paris claimed there were no major obstacles to supplying crime statistics to the public, most of which he says are readily available online already.
Within reason, he undertook to supply NTBCC with whatever figures it wants.
The seeming impossibility of acquiring regular, consistently formatted statistics has also been raised recently by Leith Central Community Council, and we hear the issue has been raised elsewhere in the north of the city.
In response, Malcolm Chisholm MSP will raise with top brass the possibility of breaking down statistics by Council ward.
Such an outcome would surely be desirable, but Spurtle has lost count of the number of times Police spokespersons have dismissed this as operationally or administratively more difficult than landing a constable on Mars.
So, despite Police Scotland's lofty aspiration to foster 'clear, meaningful and proactive two-way communication' (Corporate Strategy 2014), our advice is: Don't hold your breath.
Got a view? Tell us at spurtle@hotmail.co.uk and @theSpurtle and Facebook