Banfire night
last year and, more significantly, the damage caused and levels of violence displayed were considerably greater than in previous years.
“This caused alarm and distress for our communities and is completely unacceptable.
“We are confident that these dispersal zones will enable us to robustly tackle antisocial behaviour and general disorder in key areas of the city, allowing us to move on people who are causing a nuisance.”
He said local officers who will be on patrol across Edinburgh over the Halloween and Bonfire Night period will be able to call in colleagues in riot gear to help deal with any disorder.
Dispersal zones were first used in Edinburgh in 2015 to target aggressive drunks in Hunter Square, off the Royal Mile.
The Portobello zone covers 107 streets from Joppa along the beachfront to King’s Road, Seafield.
The Craigentinny zone covers 84 streets up to Restalrig and Lochend.
Pilton’s zone runs north of Ferry Road from Pilton Drive through 84 streets to Pennywell Road. The Muirhouse zone takes in 39 streets to the edge of Silverknowes.
Assistant Chief Officer David McGown, of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Antisocial behaviour, such as deliberate fire-raising and the abuse of emergency service workers, will never be tolerated.”
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, chairwoman of Edinburgh Community Safety Partnership, said: “We are taking a collaborative approach to reduce levels of vandalism, antisocial behaviour and violence and support the use of dispersal zones.”