Take care at rivers and lochs
Last week I highlighted that not all the work your local officers do to keep people safe is about arresting criminals.
There was another great example of that this week.
Last Friday we responded to a call that a young lad and young girl were in trouble having entered the fast-flowing water of the Black Cart River near to Paton’s Mill Retail Park in Johnstone.
Officers responded and, using the water rescue ropes we have in our response vehicles, managed to pull them clear of the water.
This is not as easy as it sounds and requires training and teamwork.
Happily, following treatment at the Royal Alexandria Hospital for minor injuries, both went home none the worse for the experience – but perhaps a little chastened.
We might be nearing the end of the outdoor swimming season in Scotland - if there is such a thing - but there is never a bad time to remind people of the dangers of playing in or near our rivers and lochs.
Sometimes, meanwhile,
I’m dismayed by the stupidity exhibited by some of our fellow citizens and a realisation that there are still those among us who judge others by their ethnic backgrounds.
There were two occasions this week whereby Scots
Asians working in shops and restaurants in Renfrewshire suffered racial abuse.
This type of behaviour will simply not be tolerated.
Two people have already been arrested and I am confident that another will be following them to the cells very shortly.
I would urge anyone who has been the victim of any type of hate crime to contact us . Any such reports will be treated as a priority and I can assure you our success rate in catching perpetrators is very high.
Everyone has the right to live their lives free of prejudice and harassment and we are here to support you.
Those of you living, working or socialising in Paisley town centre might notice increased police activity in the coming weeks. In line with Renfrewshire Council’s plans to continue regeneration of the area, local officers and officers drawn from national units, together with partners in the public and private sector, will be tackling antisocial behaviour, violence and drugs misuse.
Among the tactics we will be using will be the deployment of stewards at pubs and clubs, wardens and police officers wearing body cameras to supplement existing CCTV cameras.
In general terms, Paisley town centre is a vibrant and safe place but we know there are improvements we can make.
We would appreciate your support in reporting anything you think might be illegal!
Finally, proactive policing and some ‘nous’ by officers from Renfrew led to the arrest of a male in possession of a quantity of heroin and a large quantity of white tablets.
The issue of drugs deaths has been well publicised recently and part of the problem is persons consuming drugs without being sure of what they actually are.
We are not yet sure what the tablets are and in reality they could be one of a number of substances, some of which could well be lethal.
The only advice I can give is to ensure you do not take any drugs unless they have been legally prescribed to you and you are 100 per cent sure of what they are.
Anything else is extremely dangerous and potentially fatal.