POLICE COLUMN: Chief Inspector Elaine McArthur Kerr

In her latest column, Chief Inspector Elaine McArthur Kerr, West Lothian Local Area Commander, speaks about new collaborative approach which aims to help young people move away from criminal behaviour.

In her recent report to the SPA Board, Chief Constable Jo Farrell mentioned a new collaborative approach being undertaken within West Lothian, which aims to help young people move away from criminal behaviour.

We are just getting started, but this column provides me with an ideal opportunity to provide some initial context as to what it will entail.

Supporting Opportunities for Life (SOL) is a service being delivered by our officers in partnership with the charity Aid and Abet and sees peer mentors being provided to work alongside police in West Lothian and engage with young people aged 10-25 in schools, colleges and in the community.

Through early intervention and using the lived experience of the mentors, SOL will help to support the young people break that cycle of offending or risk of offending, increase confidence to make positive life changes, improve their wellbeing and identify education, training, or work opportunities.

The Scottish Violence Reduction Unit will offer specialist insights and support in the initiation and running of the project and I am extremely grateful for their support of this very worthwhile project. Stay tuned to our social media channels for more information and updates on SOL in the coming weeks and months.

As we’ve said many times before, one of our top priorities in West Lothian is tackling drug crime and the knock-on impact these offences have on the wider community.

The sale of drugs fund other organised criminal activity and dealers prey upon and exploit vulnerable members of the public, particularly those living with addiction issues.

On a daily basis, officers from our Proactive Unit, with support from uniformed colleagues, act on intelligence to identify those responsible for drug offences and conduct enforcement activity to bring them to justice.

Recently, we executed a warrant at a property in Park Place, Livingston where a sizeable quantity of herbal cannabis was seized from within. A 32-year-old man was charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act and will appear in court at a later date.

The potential value of the drugs was £200,000 and by recovering it, we have put a dent in the operations of organised crime groups within our region.

Enforcement activity like this is only possible because of the assistance of the public, so my plea to our communities is to come forward with any information they may have in relation to ongoing drug crime in their area.

Please rest assured all information we received will be handled in the strictest confidence. However, it can also be passed to the charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.

I want to conclude this column with a reminder to everyone on the importance of water safety – particularly during holiday periods and in the coming months, as we begin to experience warmer weather. West Lothian has several open water sources, including rivers, canals and reservoirs.

For anyone who is tempted to use these bodies of water to cool down or spend time socialising with friends, please remember that while the water might seem calm, looks can be deceiving and there are many dangers.

Reservoirs are deep and the water just below the surface is icy cold, even in summer. Cold water can send your body into shock in seconds. They also have strong water currents, which combined with the deep cold water can challenge even the strongest of swimmers.

Wherever you chose to swim outdoors, there could be hidden underwater obstacles – such as pipework or stone and concrete structures. If you dive in, you don’t know what you might hit. Steep, slippery banks can make it tricky to get back out of the water.

Please always consider your safety and do not put yourself at risk, particularly when there is no supervision or means to quickly alert emergency services to you being in difficulty.

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