Motorcycle diaries helping to fight crime - Sam Ainslie

Those involved in such offences pose a significant to their own safety, pedestrians and other road users, as well creating significant distress for the owners of the motorcycles.

Running since 20 June 2022, Operation Soteria is our city-wide initiative focused on tackling thefts and the reckless use of motorcycles. Partnership remains key to success and we have being working with colleagues, including Road Policing, and communities, to proactively prevent and tackle these concerns. Our co-ordinated response has included deploying Edinburgh Division’s very own Operation Orbit officers, trained in the use of off-road motorbikes, and these officers have and will continue to patrol targeted areas to identify offenders, prevent and deter further incidents and provide community reassurance.

I am delighted to report that over the last 4 weeks, #OpSoteria has secured 9 arrests, with a further two individuals reported for warrant. In real terms, this translates into 57 charges all relating to motorcycle theft and antisocial behaviour offences and the recovery of 36 motorcycles bikes, with a value totalling approximately £145,000.

As I have spoken about before, police cannot prevent or tackle the root causes of offending alone. As such, my Prevention, Interventions and Partnerships team play an integral part in Operation Soteria, engaging with communities, providing crime prevention advice and working collaboratively with numerous local partners.

Whilst in no way exhaustive, this includes Community and School Link officers, Housing, Education, NHS colleagues and youth engagement services, all with the intention of identifying vulnerable people already involved in, or considered to be at risk of becoming involved in criminal activity, and reducing harm by promoting positive lifestyle choices and breaking the cycle of re-offending.

If you have information about motorcycle crime or the dangerous use of motorcycles in the capital, please speak with officers confidentially and anonymously on 101, or through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

I am sure, like me, you will have welcomed the summer weather, and whilst we enjoy the great privilege of living and working in a diverse city, incorporating homes, businesses, a large number of amenities and visitor attractions, ranging from easily accessible green spaces to a vibrant night-time economy, better weather can encourage excessive drinking both outdoors and indoors. As you will appreciate, this presents challenges in balancing, what can be competing expectations of visitors and residents.

Let me reassure you that whilst Edinburgh is a safe city, we are never complacent in relation to anti-social behaviour or violence, with officers once again providing a high visibility policing presence during weekend periods within the City Centre as part of Operation NightGuard, and across the capital’s beaches and parks, providing reassurance, preventing and deterring issues and robustly dealing with incidents, should they occur.

The hotter weather also provides opportunities for thieves, and whilst it may sound overly simple, double checking that windows are locked to only allow ventilation and that items are not inadvertently left on open display, can minimise the likelihood of thefts occurring. To receive regular updates on Edinburgh Policing Division’s activities, including #OpSoteria and crime prevention advice, please follow us our Edinburgh Police Division Facebook page and our @EdinburghPolice Twitter page.

Superintendent Sam Ainslie, Edinburgh Division