5 minute read
Protecting
Protecting Spend: £62,783 - 9% of Total BID Project Budget
Protecting customers, staff and businesses is of vital importance for a thriving city centre. The Edinburgh Visitor Survey again highlighted the success of our innovative partnerships with 87% of people feeling safer in the BID area than elsewhere in the city.
BID Cop Our ground-breaking partnership with Police Scotland provides an enhanced police presence and active support for our businesses through PC Leo Baker.
PC Baker regularly visits BID businesses to offer advice, support and training.
Between July 2019 and February 2020, Leo visited 231 businesses, an increase of 36% on last year. In addition, he has had email or telephone correspondence with 158 businesses and has provided nine “Hard Target” courses for retailers, training 68 staff members to minimise shoplifting opportunities within BID businesses. Complemented by our Check Out communication system, linking over 165 retailers with the Police, our joined-up approach continues to deliver real results in reducing retail crime.
Due to national lockdown in March, bike marking events were unable to take place through the spring and early summer.
However, two marking events were able to take place in this reporting year, helping to address the growing issues around cycle theft. PC Baker marked and added 17 bikes to the national register, helping speed up reuniting stolen bicycles with their owners.
NB: Crime figures reported by Police Scotland are for the reporting year – 1st April 2019 to 31st March 2020. Crime figures are for the whole City Centre Ward area. Reported crimes included are: Serious Assault, Housebreaking to a business, Robbery, Vandalism, Common Assault and the total of these five areas, with a five-year average.
Crime Statistics
Total recorded crimes and offences down 6.1% compared to last year and down 1.9% compared to the five-year average.
Serious assault, housebreaking to a business, robbery, vandalism and common assault were all lower than last year and all except robbery were lower than the five-year average.
Total detection rates for crimes and offences were higher than last year and the five-year average by 3.1% and 2.9% respectively.
All individual areas have higher detection rates than last year and than the five-year average.
NB. Recorded crime is all crime reported to Police, detected crime = crime solved.
Recorded Crime
Detected Crime
Navigator Project – with Cyrenians Our partnership with Cyrenians continues to provide support for some of society’s most vulnerable individuals. Our investment funds Outreach Workers through the Navigator Project, supporting their amazing work in caring for the homeless community in our city.
Working on a one-to-one basis with rough sleepers on the streets, Nick Harrold provides support by developing relationships, responding to each individuals priorities and supporting them to address these.
The Navigator Team have helped accommodate 79 individuals over the year. They have assisted three individuals into permanent tenancies of their own and one individual into a job. The Team is currently providing 1:1 support for eleven people, none of whom are now represented as homeless. The team continued to provide at least five street shifts per week right through the year, including during the lockdown period. offers peer support, delivered by a team with first-hand experience of homelessness. Nick has over 25 years’ experience in working with vulnerable people and takes to the streets of Edinburgh several times a week alongside his colleague whose own experience of sleeping rough gives the service a unique advantage.
Nick’s two-person team also liaises with other specialist agencies including the Bethany Christian Trust, Access Point and the Community Police Team – including our BID Cop PC Baker.
How can you help?
• If you think someone is in immediate danger on the street, call Police Scotland on 999 or 101 • If you see someone sleeping rough who you think needs support, call Cyrenians on
0131 475 2503
• If you or someone you know is at immediate risk of homelessness, call
0800 032 5968
The strength of our work comes from the citywide partnerships that exist between the key providers of support in the city.
Security Initiatives We continue to operate multiple channels to tackle and minimise crime within the BID; Check Out for retailers, Check In for hoteliers, Gold Watch for jewellers and Pub Watch for hospitality businesses - all helping to make the city centre an unattractive location for crime.
Check Out still leads the way with its innovative approach to tackling retail crime through partnership working. Coordinated sharing of information by over 165 signed-up retailers and Police Scotland helps to make our BID an unappealing target for shoplifters.
Between 1st July 2019 and 29th February 2020, reporting grew by 2.6%, with partners sharing data on 318 incidents.
Nick Harrold and Mark Diver Outreach Workers, Homeless Navigator Project
Navigator Project
Accommodation found for 79 individuals 3 into permanent tenancies 1 individual into a job
Currently providing 1:1 support for 11 individuals (9 male & 2 female) No one represented as homeless who is using 1:1 support At least 5 street shifts per week right through the year including the lockdown period
