Police teams still in the saddle to reassure communities in Fife
By LEEZA CLARK, 15 September 2014 11.51am. The courier.co.uk, Fife, Scotland
Photo: Officers recreate the 1926 picture at Kirkcaldy Police Station. George McLuskie
Nearly a century apart — but just a beat in time.
While horsepower may have given way to pedal power, policing is still getting into the heart of communities in Kirkcaldy, according to Sergeant Graeme Neill.
Staff at Kirkcaldy police station uncovered an image of their predecessors, on horseback in 1926 and it inspired them to get on their bikes, quite literally.
“I found this one, dating from 1926, and thought the comparison was really nice,” said Sgt Neill.
Police are using bicycles more and more to get closer to the communities which they serve. In particular, officers can be seen out and about in the Templehall area of Kirkcaldy, which has been beset by the scourge of quad and off-road biking.
“It provides reassurance and it makes us more mobile,” Sgt Neill went on.
“We can stop and talk to local people. It offers a more flexible response and a quicker response — and it makes us more visible in Templehall.”
Police are taking a multi-agency approach to the problem of irresponsible biking and meetings have been held with Fife Council’s housing and roads departments, community wardens and Kirkcaldy High School, as well as local retailers Asda and Sainsbury’s.
“What we are trying to do is create a greater intelligence picture of who is doing this, who they are, where they are, and where they are keeping their bikes,” he said.
“At the same time, the safety message is getting across to schools.”
This issue — and others such as general road safety, anti-social behaviour and substance misuse — are often brought up at community engagement meetings.
In Kirkcaldy north, the Templehall, Chapel and Dunnikier area meetings have been combined.
These will now be held in once every two months in rotation, with the first being at 7.30pm on Tuesday September 23 in Newcraigs Evangelical Church in Forres Drive in Chapel.
Sergeant Neill and his team are inviting residents to go along, or they can be contacted on 101 or KirkcaldyNorthCPT@scotland.pnn.police.uk.