Making the Borders a safer place

Friday, July 13 2007

The Scottish Borders Community Safety Partnership is making good progress in dealing with antisocial behaviour in the region.

Chairman of the Scottish Borders Community Safety Partnership, Councillor Alec Nicol, said: “The progress made in the Scottish Borders is truly outstanding and is a credit to the hard work and commitment of all our local agencies, including the Council, police, landlords and NHS Borders. We must also give credit to our local communities who have stood up to antisocial behaviour.”

A range of developments was highlighted in the annual progress report, which was submitted to the Scottish Executive earlier this month. They included:

the multi-agency Antisocial Behaviour Unit (ASBU) and its central role in the early identification and monitoring of people committing antisocial behaviour
the employment of a Development Field Officer, whose key role is ‘on the ground’ investigation into antisocial behaviour
increased legal support through Scottish Borders Council Legal Services
increased support for those affected by antisocial behaviour through Victim Support Scottish Borders.

Councillor Nicol added: “The progress report shows that organisations in the Scottish Borders have met or exceeded most of our yearly targets, and our communities are now benefiting from our approach. Communities can be reassured that we are working for them and, over the next year, we will continue to strive to make the Scottish Borders a safer place to live, work and visit.”

Editors’ Note:

The Scottish Borders Community Safety Partnership is a multi-agency partnership, which aims to make the Scottish Borders a safer place to live, work, and visit. A key part of the strategy is to address issues affecting the quality of life of all sections of society through a collaborative joint working approach.

The partnership comprises representatives from:

Scottish Borders Council
Lothian and Borders Police
NHS Borders
Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service
Scottish Borders Drug and Alcohol Action Team
Scottish Borders Joint Community Safety Panel
District Courts
Scottish Children’s Reporters Association
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscals Service
Sykes Global Services Ltd
Victim Support Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders Housing Network
Border Voluntary Youth Work Forum
Lothian and Borders Ambulance Service
Borders Equality Forum

For further information on the Community Safety Partnership, please contact Jan Pringle, Community Safety Manager (01835) 826541.

For further information on the multi-agency Antisocial Behaviour Unit (ASBU), please contact Kerr Scott, Mediation and Antisocial Behaviour Manager (0800) 028 5711.

Reference: News-20532, Contact the Author