Welcome to a regular new feature in the Village Crier, the Police Box.  This will endeavour to provide you with the latest information relating to crime in the local area.  It will also offer crime prevention advice and try to make you aware of any upcoming initiatives being run by Tayside Police.

RESTRUCTURE

In May 2010 a major restructuring took place within Tayside Police at which time the Auchterarder, Bridge of Earn, Crieff and Kinross Police stations were all amalgamated into one area known as the South Section.  

The Inspector in charge of this section is Yvonne McGregor who will be assisted by two Community Sergeants, Sandra Williams based from Kinross with responsibility for Community Policing in the Bridge of Earn and Kinross areas; and David Pettigrew based from Crieff who has responsibility for the Auchterarder and Crieff areas.  There are eight Community Officers who all have their own geographical areas. Constable Euan Mitchell is the Community Officer for the Abernethy/Bridge of Earn area.

Euan joined Tayside Police in 2007 and has worked in both the Perth and Kinross sections until taking over his new Community Officer posting in May.  He is keen to liaise with the local community in an effort to identify and resolve neighbourhood complaints, anti-social behaviour and other issues causing concern locally.

Euan is available to be contacted at Bridge of Earn Police station, by telephone on 0300 111 2222 or by email on euan.mitchell@tayside.pnn.police.uk

MOBILE COMMUNITY OFFICE

To allow Euan to further engage with the local community, Tayside Police now has a Mobile Community Office which will be available in Abernethy on a monthly basis.  The Mobile Office service will initially be on a trial basis to gauge its likely use, although it is hoped it will be well used.  Should demand be there, it may be possible to extend the hours, make more frequent visits and even to widen the service to cover the more rural areas.  Hopefully this will make your local Community Officer more accessible and to provide public reassurance. It will be available in The Square over the next few months on the following dates:

Thursday 9th December 2010 between 0900 – 1200 hours.

Thursday 6th January 2011 between 0900 – 1200 hours.

Thursday 17th February 2011 between 0900 – 1200 hours.

Thursday 17th March 2011 between 0900 – 1200 hours.

If you have any questions or suggestions about the service please contact Euan on the details above.

ASSISTANCE FROM THE PUBLIC

We would urge members of the public to inform us of all incidents when they happen.  Very often people are reluctant to “get involved” because of preconceived ideas that they will be targeted and anticipate reprisals.  However this very rarely, if ever, happens and is viewed very seriously by the courts if it does.  In any case, although it is more help to the police for witnesses to give their details, an anonymous call to report a crime being committed or to report suspicious behaviour or noises is better than no call at all.  When deciding whether to call the police to report incidents such as those described above, we would ask members of the public to consider how they would feel if they were the victim, and that somebody who had been in a position to help them did nothing.

We are frequently told about incidents days or even weeks after they happen, usually when the person reporting happens to meet one of us in the street or at a meeting and we are asked “what are you doing about youths hanging about our street” or similar  “it’s happening every night”.  We then find that the incident described has either happened several days before or has been going on for several weeks.  It considerably lessens the possibility to effectively deal with an incident if we are not informed at the time and makes it impossible if we do not know at all.

CRIME STOPPERS - Telephone Number 0800 555 111

This telephone number is a free phone number, unless you are using a mobile phone, which any member of the public can contact at any time, if they have information relating to criminal activity of any sort.  It is, if you wish, confidential and you cannot be contacted if you choose to remain anonymous.