Joint action fights crime

As you can read in the main section of Outlook, the new locally-based Neighbourhood Action Units (NAUs) have reduced crime rates around the city.

The seven new units – made up of 102 Council-funded Police officers – replaced the Safer Communities Units and Youth Action Teams earlier this year.

Six months on, the NAUs have contributed to almost a 20 per cent drop in crimes such as vandalism and violence.

The teams tackle issues which local people say are causing concern and are made up of experienced officers who patrol with other partners such as Environmental Wardens.

Effective partnership working across the South in the past year has seen:

• 11 per cent reduction in crime
• 60 per cent reduction of youth-related calls compared to 2004 – with a further 20 per cent drop in January-March 2008
• 76 per cent reduction in alcohol-related youth calls over the festive period
• Significant reduction in vandalisms and alcohol-fuelled assaults.

TAC-kling crime in South Edinburgh

South Edinburgh was the first area of the city to set up a Tasking and Co-ordinating Group (TAC) to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. Now these have been set up throughout the city.

Each month, Police, Council and Fire Service senior staff look at antisocial behaviour and crime, including information on repeat offenders, hot spot areas, planned events and emerging trends. An action plan is then agreed.

Since April 2008, South Edinburgh TAC has carried out almost 300 individual actions to address problems and make communities safer. These include:

• Operation Aura, which aimed to combat the sale and consumption of alcohol by under-age youths.
• Operation Arsenal, a joint operation with East Neighbourhood Action Unit to tackle the illegal and antisocial use of mini motos. It resulted in seven people being charged and their bikes seized.
• Operation Ascertain, which used a Lothian Buses ‘decoy’ to catch a youth throwing missiles at cars and buses.
• Action against drug dealers, which resulted in a main dealer being arrested and remanded in custody.