Operation Summer City kicked off on Wednesday 2nd August at The Stand Comedy club, where officers unveiled their message for the coming weeks – ‘Festival Safety It’s No Joke’.

Over the coming weeks local policing teams will be supported by other resources from across the city to offer a range of useful information aimed at safeguarding local residents and visitors from the type of offences that typically occur during the summer months.

In addition to the Hold Onto Your Stuff initiative, which is aimed at tackling acquisitive crime, officers will also be promoting the Good Nights Out Get Home Safe campaign to ensure revellers can enjoy a safe and fun night out in the Capital before returning home safely.

High visibility patrols will be undertaken to deter antisocial behaviour and alcohol-related violence and there will be an emphasis on discouraging the use of drugs and new psychoactive substances.

Edinburgh Division’s social media pages are to be used extensively to promote safety messages throughout the Festival and the star of the show this year will be PC Amanda the Panda, who will appear in a variety of images and videos online.

Superintendent Lesley Clark from Edinburgh Division said: “Edinburgh is a very exciting and vibrant place to be during the Festival with hundreds of thousands of people attending the range of events and activities taking place over the coming month.

“With such an increase of people within the city it’s really important that we have a visible presence within the city centre and across the Capital to engage with the public, offer guidance on crime prevention and personal safety and deter any criminal activity from taking place.

“Protecting our communities is at the very heart of Operation Summer City and with so many people gathering in crowded places, armed officers will form part of the resources we deploy to complement the National Barrier Asset which we have seen being constructed in key locations over the past week.

“Please do not be alarmed by the presence of these officers, who are there only as a precaution and are usually more than happy to pose for photos.

“Our Unofficial Fringe Venue 999 returns for a second year and will be positioned in East Princes Street Gardens. Members of the public are more than welcome to drop in for a chat on security matters, pick up one our safety advice leaflets, or get a picture with our new mascot for Summer City – PC Amanda the Panda.

“After the successful debut of PC Bobbi and Baddie Bear last year, the furry duo have found a loving new home and so PC Panda will be our headline act and will appear regularly on our social media sites to offer a range of useful information and advice.

“You can keep up to date with PC Panda and all of our Summer City messaging by liking the Police Scotland Edinburgh Division Facebook page and by following @EdinburghPolice on Twitter.”

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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.