Protecting

PROTECTING businesses, customers & staff spend £362.5k

A thriving city centre is a place where people feel safe. We’ve worked hard to support a 7.9% reduction in overall recorded crime through a range of initiatives including key investment in enhanced CCTV and groundbreaking programmes like Check Out. Partnership working with Police Scotland has been central to this success and we will further strengthen and build upon this relationship over our next term, looking to deliver specific initiatives linked to city centre bicycle and motorbike crime.

CCTV Our investment in city centre CCTV closed a key gap in coverage, improving safety within the BID and assisting with investigations and prosecutions. We will continue to provide funding to support these vital tools going forward.

“The beauty of Check Out is that fairly instantaneously you are made aware of suspicious individuals within the city and that can be communicated from store to store for the prevention of crime… we are all working as one city centre team.”

Alan Thomlinson, Jenners

“Cyrenians partnership with Essential Edinburgh has already had a huge impact on the lives of some of our most excluded citizens. It is a real privilege to be in partnership with a business organisation who take such a positive and compassionate, citizen focused approach to a complex and very human issue. Essential Edinburgh is really helping change lives.” Ewan Aitken, Cyrenians

Homelessness Throughout the consultation process, our businesses expressed concern about homelessness and begging in the city centre, realising that protecting our area means working to help those most vulnerable.

Such complex issues don’t need a short term fix; they require a considered and sensitive strategy for real and lasting change.

We have engaged with local government, law enforcement and expert third sector partners to discern the best strategy moving forward. Based on their recommendations, we will provide funds alongside Comic Relief and Social Bite to support the employment of specialist Homelessness Case Workers next term.

Through our partnership funding, Cyrenians will create two posts dedicated to our area. Communicating with local businesses and responding to alerts raised by members of the public, their on-hand expertise will help those individuals who need support most and give them access to vital services. With this initiative, we can offer hope and real solutions to help people move away from a street-based lifestyle.

BID Cop From July 2017, we piloted a ground-breaking project with Police Scotland, funding a dedicated police officer for the BID. We’ve had terrific feedback from our levy payers and, if the renewal is successful, will continue to fund this highly visible police presence from 2018-23.

Whilst working closely alongside our Homelessness Case Workers, PC Leo Baker will coordinate Police Scotland’s involvement and continued support for the city wide Community Improvement Partnership for begging and homelessness.

Building strong relationships with our businesses and developing a unique understanding of the area, our ‘BID Cop’ provides a single point of contact with law enforcement, readily available support and access to advice and training for a more secure and resilient city centre.

“Into the next five years, I am very excited about how we can develop the additional services that Police Scotland is able to offer in partnership with Essential Edinburgh.”

PC Leo Baker