Community wants police chief to target youth disorder

Councillors fear antisocial behaviour is escalating

Burntisland councillors are seeking a meeting with the head of Police Scotland over fears of escalating youth disorder in the town.

It follows an assault in Dick Crescent, which left a 33-year-old man with serious facial injuries.

A 19-year-old man has since appeared in court on two charges alleging assault to severe injury and assault to injury.

A 13-year-old boy is subject to a report to the children’s reporter in relation to the incident.

Police are also following several lines of inquiry in relation to a number of other young suspects.

Although Police Scotland insisted reports had declined by 20% last year, local sources claimed antisocial behaviour had increased in recent years amid concerns about response times and a lack of police resources.

A police officer was injured in an assault at a disturbance on the Links. A 20-year-old man has since been charged.

Councillor Gordon Langlands said he and Fife Council colleagues intended to meet Police Scotland’s Chief Constable Phil Gormley.

He said: “We need to be able to contact our local community police officers and have more police in Burntisland at the weekend.”

Following the assault in Dick Crescent on Friday May 26, a resident in Dollar Road called 101 to say youths were making noise at a party in a nearby property.

There was concern that police did not turn up to investigate.

However, Police Scotland said the complaint was passed to Fife Council’s noise team and no further complaints were received.

Issues around police response times were previously raised by Burntisland Community Council.

Area Commander Chief Inspector Adrian Annandale said calls were graded, with officers deployed to incidents requiring an urgent response.

At the last Police Scotland community engagement meeting in the town, nearly 30 members of the public turned up to voice their concerns – nearly three times the usual number.

Mr Annandale said: “Last year there was an almost 20% reduction in reports of anti-social behaviour in Burntisland compared to the previous year.

“Ensuring that local officers are visible in their communities is a top priority for us and routine patrols are carried out regularly in Burntisland. Special attention is given to areas where the local community have reported concerns.”

Special attention is given to areas where the local community have reported concerns. CHIEF INSPECTOR ADRIAN ANNANDALE