Councillors demand to know what the police plan is for Linlithgow

And SNP councillor Pauline Orr branded the force’s apparent inability to provide localised crime figures “a load of nonsense”.

Local Community Sgt Lee Brodie faced blunt questioning about policing when he spoke to Linlithgow’s Local Area Committee.

This was the first area committee since a meeting in early November where local officers and senior commanders addressed concerns from the community about anti-social behaviour in the town at a meeting in the Burgh Halls.

Sgt Brodie outlined an increased presence by himself and local community officers in the wake of concerns at the meeting, both in High Street patrols and contacts with organisations including Linlithgow Young People’s Partnership.

He said he and his staff were basing themselves at least once a week on police offices within the partnership centre in the town.

“I and my team have made a point of basing ourselves there,” he said.

Councillor Tom Conn thanked Sgt Brodie for the update but, making reference to the November meeting, said: “We had the meeting in the Burgh Halls but we have so far no idea of any actions the police are considering.”

Councillor Conn added that he had asked a senior officer about Linlithgow at a meeting of the Community Planning Partnership.

“I was told there is a plan, and perhaps we could discuss it off-line. If you have a plan you need to tell us.

“What is the plan for Linlithgow to deal with the issues that were raised at the public meeting?”

Sgt Brodie told the meeting that his reports would be the normal route by which police would report back to councillors and other partners.

He added, that before the Burgh Halls meeting: “I did look through figures on anti-social behaviour, and Linlithgow was in the middle of the nine wards in West Lothian, so it does take some focus.

“At the same time we can’t fully redistribute everything from other areas which need attention as well.”

Sgt Brodie said: “We are doing as much as we can with the resources we have got.”

He added that there have been improvements following the public meeting.

Police have also established closer links with British Transport Police and plan joint patrol days and also plan to develop street pastor contacts.

“It is very much a partnership, multi agency approach to tackling anti-social behaviour issues across West Lothian, and we meet with partners each week. It is not one we, as one organisation, can fix all on our own,” added the officer.

Councillor Conn said a more visible police presence would give people confidence in the deterrent effect.

Councillor Sally Pattle, chairing the meeting, said the increased policing in the High Street had been noticed and thanked Sgt Brodie for the team’s efforts.

She added that results of the follow up to the November meeting would be revealed when the third quarter report was discussed at the next meeting.

Councillor Pauline Orr voiced her disbelief that Police Scotland cannot provide localised crime figures- a common complaint from local area committees across all nine wards.

She told the meeting: “I simply do not believe that Police Scotland does not have a platform to bring us localised details. It’s a load of nonsense.”

Sgt Brodie explained that the national collation system was “well out of our control” but said he would pass the comment back to senior commanders.

Local liaison officer Heidi Simpson, attending the meeting remotely, told the meeting the only way she could collate localised figures would be to physically record all incoming incidents.

She said: “I understand your frustration. In relation to anti-social behaviour figures. What I have started doing for quarter three is keeping a note of anti-social behaviour figures for every single ward, literally counting every single job that comes in.

“I will count every single anti-social behaviour incident for the whole of West Lothian. I’m doing that just so I can give you something from quarter three onwards. I will at least be able to give some figures for your ward.”

Referring to the Linlithgow meeting a spokesperson for Police Scotland later told the Local Democracy Reporting Service said: “There are no plans to change the policing model in Linlithgow.

“Officers regularly update local elected members on any plans and local initiatives.”