Edinburgh’s visitors and locals are being advised to take care of their personal possessions while out in the busy city centre over the coming weeks.
As part of Operation Summer City – Edinburgh’s Festival policing campaign – officers are once again promoting the ‘Hold Onto Your Stuff’ initiative, which provides the public with useful information on safeguarding valuables.
The Festival is now underway and hundreds of thousands of tourists will join residents within the Capital to experience the various attractions and events taking place throughout.
With so many people occupying the city, police are keen to ensure that the public do not fall victim to opportunistic criminals looking to steal their belongings.
Throughout the Festival officers will be out on high-visibility patrols within the city centre and other busy areas to engage with Festival goers, local businesses and residents and provide them with ‘Hold Onto Your Stuff’ leaflets, which contain useful information to help deter would-be thieves.
These leaflets will also be available at the Police Information Centre on the High Street and at the ‘Unofficial Fringe Venue 999’ in East Princes Street Gardens
Anyone looking to obtain more advice on crime prevention or public safety can attend at either of these locations to speak with an officer.
Today also marks the social media debut of PC Bobbi and Baddie bear, whose first crime prevention video airs on the Edinburgh Facebook page.
Superintendent Lesley Clark said: “We’re still in the early days of the Festival and you can already see a dramatic rise in the number of people within the city.
“We are committed to ensuring that everyone who is out to enjoying a show or attraction, as well as those who live here and are going about their normal business can do so without falling victim to a theft or similar crime.
“As such we are providing the public with our helpful leaflet that advises everyone to hold onto your stuff.
“The type of thefts we typically see during this time of the year are as a result of bags, jackets and electrical goods being set down or left unattended and I would urge those coming to the city to always keep an eye on all of their possessions and report any suspicious activity they observe while out an about.
“In addition to our officers on patrol, the Information Centre on the High Street and our Unofficial Fringe Venue 999 in East Princes Street Gardens will also be staffed and I would invite anyone wishing to discuss crime prevention or personal safety matters to visit these sites.
“Our cuddly mascots have also been busy making a number of social media videos and messages, the first of which debuts today. The public can view this by visiting the Edinburgh Division Facebook page.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
