A BLITZ on alcohol-fuelled city centre crime is being launched today with parking attendants and council wardens drafted in as extra eyes and ears.
The summer crackdown will see police, council wardens and parking attendants target hot-spots in teams.
High-visibility patrols will target city-centre buses, trains and licensed premises to stop people becoming drunk and abusive.
Police will be tapping into the knowledge of the city council's environmental wardens.
They will also seek the assistance of NCP parking attendants, and British Transport Police officers.
They will accompany them on patrols and point them to areas where troublemakers meet as part of the initiative which has been dubbed Operation Assure.
The main focus will be on making sure the city centre feels safe for tourists, particularly during the festival season, by preventing disorder and creating a highly-visible presence to discourage troublemakers.
The patrols will take place in areas known to have alcohol- related disorder and antisocial behaviour problems, and at times of the week when they frequently happen.
Inspector Andy Gilhooly, who is leading the initiative, said: "Thousands of tourists visit Edinburgh every year and, typically, the volume of visitors peaks in the summer months.
"We welcome everyone to Edinburgh. Our priority is to make the city centre a safe place for all and deal with those who commit crime or engage in antisocial behaviour.
"Through Operation Assure we are sending a strong message to everyone that we are taking a tough stance, and any criminal activity will be dealt with robustly.
"By working with our partners, we are committed to maintaining Edinburgh's position as a desirable city in which to work, live and visit."
The city council has gone to great lengths to keep the city centre crime and disorder free. It spent £500,000 employing 18 additional officers to patrol the streets.
Drinking was banned in Hunter's Square last year, when it become the Capital's first "designated enforcement zone".
Police have also made a pledge to crack down on off-licences who sell alcohol to problem drinkers.
They hope this latest initiative will further ram home the success of those schemes and nip new alcohol disorder hot-spots in the bud before they have the chance to develop.
Councillor Paul Edie, the city's community safety leader, said: "The months during the summer are a very exciting and busy time for Edinburgh's residents and visitors.
"By working with our partners on Operation Assure, we will tackle antisocial behaviour and help ensure that everyone enjoys themselves safely."
Tim Cowen, of NCP Services, added: "Parking attendants can be helpful as an extra set of eyes and ears, and we are delighted to be able to help this important initiative."
City-centre crime has fallen by nine per cent over the past year. Council funding of extra night patrols in the city centre has seen the number of offences fall from almost 13,000 to just over 11,500 in the past year.
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www.lbp.police.uk
• www.edinburgh.gov.uk
• www.ncp.co.uk
• www.btp.police.ukThe full article contains 526 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
