 | Currie Community Council |
|
Lothian & Borders Police |  | ||
|
Report Issue 66 to Currie Community Council, February 2010
This month sees 'A' Division preparing to implement increased community policing efforts in the South and East of the city. As you will be aware, there are currently Community Beat Officers dedicated to particular beats within the city. In line with our increased focus on community engagement, Safer Neighbourhood Teams will be formed on the 1st March at Howdenhall, St Leonard‘s, Portobello, and Craigmillar police stations. These teams will combine the existing Community Beat officers, Neighbourhood Action Unit officers and officers funded by the Scottish Government to form a team dedicated to serving each Ward area in partnership with officers from the City of Edinburgh Council. Our officers will be spending even more time out in the community, gathering local concerns and setting local priorities based on both information from the public and various outstanding community issues. Safer Neighbourhood Teams and Community Safety teams will deal with these as a priority over an agreed period of time. An important aspect of this work is reporting back successes to communities and we will do that through a variety of different means, including the community newsletter. Our evolution of the Safer Neighbourhood Teams is a long term process that is designed to empower communities to make changes to their local areas and improve quality of life. While the initial stages of the project will only be in the South and East of the city, we aim to roll the Safer Neighbourhood Teams out across the city in the coming months. Chief Supt Gill Imery, Housebreaking — Don‘t Become A Victim Before leaving your home make sure all windows are properly secured and importantly any window locks fitted are used. Good window locks prevent the window from being opened and would require the housebreaker to remove all glass before they would consider climbing through for fear of cutting themselves. Almost every housebreaker is a repeat offender whose DNA is held by the Police and the tiniest blood trace left behind will lead us directly to them. As a result most will not consider climbing through a broken window. Ensure that you don‘t leave the window lock key where it can be easily reached by the housebreaker or they will simply reach the key through the broken window and use it to open the window frame to gain access. Do not leave tilt & turn or hopper windows slightly open, even if you lock them, as it is much easier to lever them open. Top Tips: Don‘t leave valuables like a laptop or a purse where they can be viewed through a window. They may tempt a break in. Valuables left near windows are a smash and grab risk. Be aware of the real risk of someone "fishing" valuables like car keys, purses or handbags through a letterbox or window using for example a long garden cane. Don't leave keys in locks. By taking these simple steps you can greatly reduce your risk of having your house broken into. Here is the February newsletter covering activity from the 1st to the 31st January 2010. CRIME SUMMARY This month saw 27 crimes recorded with 8 of them solved. INCIDENT SUMMARY During the month there were 90 incidents logged by the police in respect of the ward. Of these, 5 were Graded 1, i.e. emergencies, 24 Graded 2 i.e. non-emergencies but should be responded to within one hour. 35 were graded 3, 7 graded 4 and 19 were graded 5 and didn‘t require police attendance. CRIMES AGAINST PREMISES On the 17th there was an attempt to enter a garage in Lanark Road West. No entry was gained. Between the 8th and 9th a number of garages in Juniper Place were entered and items stolen including a pedal cycle. SOLVED CRIMES I can report that this month's solved crimes include:
Cultivation of cannabis
VANDALISM Between the 16th and the 18th a car parked in Dolphin Gardens West had its locks superglued. A car had its window smashed whilst parked in Thomson Drive. On the 17th a lump of ice was thrown through a porch window in Muir Wood Road. THEFT OTHERS On the 29th a mobile phone was stolen from Heriot Watt. On the 21st an ipod was stolen from a premises in Dolphin Avenue. On the 20th a theft occurred at a dwelling in Forthview Avenue. AUTOCRIME Between the 7th and the 12th there was an attempt to steal a motor car parked in Belmont Road. THEFT SHOPLIFTING 2 suspects made off after a shoplifting in Corslet Place, Currie on the 19th. They are described as: 1. male, white, 5‘8, 25 — 30, slim build, short fair hair wearing a green jacket, black trousers, black shoes carrying a black shoulder bag 2. female, white, 25 — 30, thin build, 5‘5, wearing a green jacket, light hooded top, black trousers and black shoes. CONTACT NUMBERS and E-MAIL Addresses PC Mike Smith (shared mailbox) Balerno Police Station 449 5991 (FCC) Community Safety Department, PC Bert Wilson - 622 2429 West Edinburgh Neighbourhood Action Unit, 442 2626 THE NEED FOR INFORMATION The recent cannabis cultivation found in Juniper Green strengthens the need for the slightest piece of information being passed to the police. Whilst down at the locus myself I spoke with numerous neighbours who commented on the state of the house, the fact that people came from the house day and night, and general oddness in and around the locus. This information might seem very minor on its own but it could well be the last piece of information required to crave a warrant or justify an arrest. Procedures for passing information to the police ensure that all references to sources are removed and there can be no indication as to where information has come from. Your anonymity is protected at all times. I would urge you all to report anything at all you think is suspicious. Your anonymity is guaranteed. | |||
