IT should come as no surprise that an increased police presence on the streets has resulted in a drop in antisocial behaviour in neighbourhoods across the city.
And the council is to be congratulated for funding a worthwhile initiative that appears to be instrumental in reducing not only crime rates but the number of complaints received from the public about general misbehaviour.
Partnerships between the
council and the police are not new. The investment by the council of £500,000 to fund 18 extra officers to patrol the city centre at nights and weekends has already seen a drop in alcohol-fuelled trouble. Earlier this year a report revealed serious crime in the centre dropped by 24 per cent, youth calls fell by 12 per cent and violent crime was down six per cent, proving that putting more bobbies on the beat acts as an efficient deterrent.
The same principle has now been applied to neighbour areas and the results are equally impressive. A report issued today reveals that there has not only been an overall 19 per cent reduction in crime but that petty offences like vandalism and antisocial behaviour, which account for most complaints from the public, have also dropped dramatically.
Perhaps the most significant benefit of the work of the newly formed Neighbourhood Action Units is that there has been a significant reduction in the number of complaints against young people. A drop of 21 per cent in calls to police across the city is not to be sneezed at.
One of the spin-offs of the formation of the new teams is that it gives officers the opportunity to mix more closely with youngsters in their areas and to identify and keep a close eye on the small minority who are habitual troublemakers.
The implementing of community and neighbourhood policing to this level is unprecedented in Scotland - but perhaps shows the way forward in the battle against crime.
Funding such initiatives is something that few taxpayers will grudge seeing their council tax spent on. £2.7 million a year to fund an additional 84 officers may seem a lot but if it makes neighbourhoods safer and better places to live it is worth every penny, particularly for those who live in areas that for too long have been blighted by anti-social behaviour.
At a time when the purse strings are tight it beats squandering what little cash is available on items like new furniture for council offices and running giant city centre TV screens
The full article contains 428 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
