Police advise you to hold on to your stuff!

Police in Edinburgh are reminding the public to ‘Hold Onto Your Stuff’ during the busy Festival period and help deter acquisitive crime.

The city centre is already becoming busier, with hundreds of thousands of additional visitors taking in the sights and experiencing the numerous events taking place during the coming month.

To ensure that tourists and local residents do not become easy targets for pickpockets and thieves, officers will be distributing leaflets and displaying posters throughout the city, which offer useful advice and guidance on safeguarding belongings.

The ‘Hold Onto Your Stuff’ materials are translated into a range of languages and warn the public against setting their bags or jackets down or leaving items unattended while out witin the city.

In addition, Community Policing Team Officers will continue with their high-visibility patrols to engage with the public, offer information and advice on crime prevention and address any issues or offences they observe.

Inspector Nicola Page said: “Despite the large increase in visitors to the Capital, Edinburgh remains a very safe place. However, thieves will always look to capitalise on any opportunities, which arise in busy areas.

“To help deter acquisitive crime, particularly in the city centre, officers will regularly be out on foot and bicycle patrols to speak with the public and distribute our ‘Hold Onto Your Stuff’ leaflets, which provide guidance on how to protect their belongings.

“The leaflets are translated into the native languages of many of Edinburgh’s most common visitors and the posters can be viewed throughout the city to ensure as large an audience as possible know how to appropriately safeguard their possessions.

“Members of the public can also obtain crime prevention advice by checking out our website, or following our Twitter account @EdinburghPolice.”