Learn how to lip read with new adult class
Just weeks after its inception, Police Scotland’s Community Action Team (CAT) has busted dozens of speeding motorists, bogus workmen, drug carriers and night-time trouble makers.
Set up by Area Commander Stevie Dolan and funded by West Lothian Council, the team has two units of 10 officers based in the east and west of the county.
Using bike and foot patrols, they are tackling problems identified by the public in surveys, on social media and in community council meetings.
And last week they invited the West Lothian Courier into their West Calder base to see first hand how they work.
Sergeant Vince Hughes, who heads up the west unit, said: “If you phone in and maybe someone has assaulted you or stolen your car, police response teams will respond to that.
“What we’re here for is to look at the deeper community issues and resolve the problems. Rather than responding to youths throwing stones at windows, speeders or trouble in the street, we’re looking at the longer term to try to change behaviour.
“Our priorities are substance misuse, road safety, anti-social behaviour, hate crime, violence, serious and organised crime and counter-terrorism and financial harm.
“We’re not just out there checking for speeding motorists. We’ve had success dealing with speed and parking issues around schools.”
Sergeant Hughes pointed to the CAT team’s recent successes in Whitburn, Bathgate and Linlithgow as proof that Police Scotland’s new community strategy is working.
Officers have been clamping down on illegal parking at school gates in Bathgate. A routine speed check in Whitburn led to a £20,000 drug bust while an operation to catch bogus workmen was launched in the town. And in Linlithgow last week, officers found £1100 worth of heroin and cocaine at a property.
He added: “All the officers in the CAT team are from West Lothian. It’s our community, too. I don’t want my children coming back and telling me they’ve had issues when they’ve been out at night.
“There are loads of cops trying to catch rapists and murderers but there aren’t loads of cops dealing with kids causing problems, speeding drivers and fights in Bathgate on a Saturday night.
“We want the public to tell us what they want us to do on Facebook or by calling crimestoppers.”
We went out with bike patrol PCs James Fordyce and Fergus Middleton to see what they do on a daily basis.
Both officers were approached by parents outside Parkhead Primary School where they y spoke to kids about their work.
PC Fordyce told us: “I like speaking to thee public and the response we’ve had from being out on the bike has been brilliant.
“People normally see the cars or vans going by and they can’t stop and speak but on the bike we’re more accessible. We’re doing what the guys in the cars can’t.
“We’ve not been able to do this for a few years but now we can get involved in the life issues that actually matter to people like speeding, drugs and dog fouling.”
We then went on foot patrol with PCs Jim Friery and Chris Robertson.
PC Friery said: “Our job in the CAT team is to be out here, serving the community, being seen and getting the results.
“West Lothian Council are still funding officers so it’s all positive. There’s a lot of hard work going into it.”
“Residents are being urged to approach officers in the street to tell them about issues in their community.” People who are experiencing problems with their hearing are being encouraged to find out more about free lip reading classes.
The classes, which are free and provided by West Lothian Council’s Adult Learning Team, involve practising lip reading with exercises, short stories, fun quizzes, and discussing various topics.
Participants will learn speech movements, anticipation theory and memory tactics to improve confidence.
Executive councillor for education Lawrence Fitzpatrick commented: “The classes are a good way to meet other people with the same problems and challenges in a supportive environment, where you can discuss topics of mutual interest.”
Class are held in various venues throughout West Lothian, and are taught by fullyqualified lipreading tutors and they are designed to develop the ability to recognise different lip shapes to fill in the gaps of speech you don’t hear and also to use various clues, such as facial expression, context and anticipation; teach you about other ways to make conversation easier in various situations; provide useful information about services, organisations and equipment for people with a hearing loss; give you tips and hints from the tutor and other class members; help you in listening and thinking and improve your confidence, be more positive, and be assertive.
Participants start off in a sixweek taster class to learn the basics and then, if they want to continue, move on to classes which are held every week during term times.
If you are interested, or know someone who might be interested, and live in the West L othian Council area, contact Adult Learning on 0800 7311 831 or email the Lipreading Development Worker : bertha. walker@ westlothian.gov.uk.