Edinburgh city centre policing unit funded by tourist tax makes 50 arrests in first month

Almost 50 arrests have been made in the first month of a new Edinburgh city centre policing unit funded by the visitor levy.

The City Centre Policing Unit was launched on July 2 to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour.

In the first month of its operation, 49 people were arrested, and 114 charges were brought against them for a range of offences within the city centre.

Two fixed penalty notices were issued for anti-social behaviour, and a further 20 recorded police warnings were handed out.

Alcohol was seized on 47 occasions as part of “extensive” work to tackle street drinking in the Hunters Square area.

A total of 208 youth interactions were carried out to engage with young people visiting the city centre.

Officers from the unit will be involved in policing the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe.

Inspector Stephen Quinn, who leads the City Centre Policing Unit, said: “Our first month has been immensely challenging but extremely rewarding, as CCPU officers set about providing benefit to Edinburgh’s city centre.

“Extensive support from the CCPU was provided to staffing the cordons required to keep the public safe following the significant fire on Princes Street and this meant that resources that would previously have been required from other parts of the city were able to continue with their normal duties.

“Despite the demands of the fire, we have also been successful in tackling some of the key issues affecting the city-centre, including shop theft, antisocial behaviour and disorder.

“Working alongside key partners such as our colleagues at the Retail Crime Taskforce, Simon Community Scotland, Street Assist and representatives from the night-time economy, we continue to tackle hotspot areas and improve confidence in the policing response to ongoing problems.

“We’re under no illusion that more work needs to be done and we will continue to build on the success of our first month as we strive to make Edinburgh’s city-centre as safe as possible for all of those who live, work and visit the area.”