Making West Edinburgh a safer and cleaner place to live is the aim of a new community safety postcard being launched today.
Achievements in recent months have included regular joint Police and Council patrols to deal with broken glass and dog fouling close to the play area at Clermiston Park, engaging with young people by liaising with schools, and working with parents to respond when antisocial behaviour is identified.
Other initiatives have included raising awareness of and stopping dangerous parking around schools so it is safer for children to cross roads, and speaking to speeding cyclists in Roseburn Park.
The postcard can be used by members of the community to contact the Neighbourhood Partnership about any suggestions regarding improvements to the area.
Councillor Paul Edie, Community Safety Leader and Chair of the Western Edinburgh Neighbourhood Partnership, said:- “There are some fantastic initiatives in the west of the city which are making a real difference to people’s lives.
“This postcard highlights the wide range of community activities taking place day in day out across West Edinburgh and also gives people an opportunity to have their say in what matters to them.
“Over the past four years great inroads have been made across the city in tackling antisocial behaviour and it’s important we do not rest on our laurels.
“By listening to their suggestions the Council and partners like the Safer Neighbourhood Teams from the police and the Council’s Community Safety officers can better direct resources to dealing with the public’s concerns.”
Inspector Andrew Gilhooley, of Lothian and Borders Police, said: “The West Community Safety Forum has enabled us to understand and respond better to local people’s needs, and we are committed to seeking the views of our communities to identify local issues, so that we can work with all our partners to achieve a solution.
“Proactively tackling antisocial behaviour in all its forms has led to various joint initiatives being implemented, all of which have helped to improve the quality of life of residents in the west of Edinburgh.”
Money for the postcards came from the Edinburgh Council Social Justice Fund which allows local forums to develop initiatives to support community safety objectives.
The West Edinburgh Community Forum is made up of members of the public, community council, residents’ associations, neighbourhood watch groups, council and police staff.
The road show event will be taking place from 10.30am to 3pm in the Rannoch Centre where members of the Community Safety team will be on hand to answer questions from the public and explain more about their work. Environmental Wardens will also be carrying out high visibility patrols in the local area.
