East Ayrshire Council's enforcement team get on their bikes to tackle environmental crime

Jun 19 2009 by Clair Fullarton, Kilmarnock Standard

IN A first for Scotland East Ayrshire Council’s corporate enforcement team will be getting on their bikes with Strathclyde Police to help stamp out environmental crimes.

Since the corporate enforcement unit was formed officers have been looking at new ways to approach crimes such as dog fouling and littering.

Two dedicated officers patrol areas and carry out formal enforcement initiatives with council colleagues and officers from Strathclyde Police focusing on areas where dog fouling and littering is perceived to be a problem.

The aim of the patrols is to witness offences and issue fixed penalty notices to offenders. However, officers were finding that some areas including country parks, nature walks and some housing estates were difficult to patrol.

Councillor Bobby McDill, spokesperson for environment and regeneration, said: “ Strathclyde Police use bikes to allow community police to patrol their wards while staying visible, approachable and able to interact with the community.

“Our corporate enforcement unit can now join community police on patrols in a joint partnership approach to tackling littering and environmental crimes. The use of bikes will also help to reduce the service’s carbon footprint and supports the council’s commitment to the protection of the environment.

“This enhancement to the corporate enforcement unit’s service will allow officers to working more closely with the communities they are working for.”