Crimebeat
Stirling Area Commander, Chief Inspector Gill Boulton, on the efforts being made to ensure visitors enjoy their day out to Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park and a warning about venturing on to the hills.
Having undertaken the majority of my operational policing in the centre of Edinburgh I have spent quite a bit of time acquainting myself with the challenges of policing our more rural areas of Stirlingshire.
I have been fortunate to be able to spend some time with colleagues out and about in the more outlying areas of the division.
I am incredibly impressed by the collaborative working which takes place and amongst others have visited our partners at the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park with whom we work very closely, particularly over the spring and summer months.
Operation Ironworks runs from April to October when the number of visitors to the park increases hugely. Our aim is to improve their experience and reduce any crime or antisocial behaviour.
Some of the country’s main trunk roads, which are also some of the most scenic, pass through the area and we work to reduce collisions and injury on our roads.
This weekend’s beautiful weather led to significant congestion on some of these routes and parking around the loch and surrounding areas became very challenging.
This led to officers having to implement road closures in an effort to address some of these matters.
Officers and council enforcement teams will continue to monitor parking and congestion in these areas and will not hesitate to take action against those causing road safety issues as a result of inconsiderate or dangerous parking.
So please take the time to park sensibly, avoiding yellow lines and taking care not to cause obstruction. The cost of a parking ticket or the fee for having a vehicle released from impound if it is removed is not inconsiderable.
Understandably the dramatic scenery of the Stirlingshire area is an extremely popular area for climbers and walkers, however, occasionally, due to accidents or sudden changes in weather, incidents can occur.
In my short time here there have been numerous calls to those in difficulty in the hills.
Our officers also work closely with mountain rescue teams to provide a response to such incidents. There is a wealth of useful information available to those who may be planning a day in the hills which can be found on the Police Scotland website http://www.scotland. police.uk/keep-safe/ mountain-and-outdoorsafety or via Scottish Mountain Rescue.
Our top tips for a safe day involve taking simple precautions; Ensure you have appropriate clothing and footwear (warm and