Roadshows about police and community safety joint working

The roadshow was jointly staffed by officers from both organisations to help promote the arrangements for the joint delivery of a range of community protection services.

Throughout the day a constant stream of residents approached officers requesting services and seeking advice on all aspects of community protection issues such as youth disorder, decriminalised parking, noise enforcement and dog fouling.

Council Leader, Councillor Rhondda Geekie, said: “It was great to hear so many Milngavie residents made it along to the first of the community protection co-production roadshows running in East Dunbartonshire over the coming weeks. “Not only is it an opportunity for local people to find out about the new co-production arrangements between the Council and Police Scotland, but it is a great way for officers to find out about local community protection concerns.”

Chief Inspector Craig Smith, Area Commander for East Dunbartonshire added: “I was delighted with the number of people who attended our first roadshow and were able to find out in person more about how the new co-production arrangement between East Dunbartonshire Council and Police Scotland will have a positive impact in their local community.

“This also provided an excellent opportunity for those who attended to tell us about local issues where together we can keep people safe by taking positive action to address such concerns. Every week the roadshow will continue to travel around each of the multi-member ward areas and I would encourage anyone who is free to come along and meet us.”

In conjunction with the roadshow the joint co-production carried out targeted community protection activity in Milngavie on Thursday. This included health and safety visits to new premises to provide proprietors with information, food hygiene visits, informal food sampling and air quality vehicle idling patrols.

In terms of Trading Standards and Licensing, which was a particular focus on that day, officers visited six licensed premises and two gambling bookmakers to ensure all age restricted measures were in place as per the mandatory condition of their respective licenses.

These officers also checked for illicit alcohol within licensed premises by ensuring all products were duty paid in accordance with HMRC and were pleased to discover only two minor compliance issues which were immediately rectified by the licensees.

The next co-production roadshow will be at Bearsden Cross on Thursday, August 27 from 9am to 2pm. The full calendar of events is as follows:

Milngavie precinct at the clock,

Thursday, August 27 at 9am Bearsden Cross (loading bay outside M&S)

Thursday, September 3 at 9am Bishopbriggs Library

Thursday, September 10 at 9am Jems Carpets, Auchinairn Road, Bishopbriggs

Thursday, September 17 at 9am Parking Bays adjacent to Kessington Hall, Bearsden

Thursday, September 24 at 9am St Machan’s Chapel car park, Main Street, Lennoxtown (am) and Cowgate, Kirkintilloch (pm)

Thursday, October 1 at 9am Kirkintilloch Leisure Centre

Thursday, October 8 at 9am Hillhead Community Education Centre (am) Twechar Healthy Living Centre (pm)