Second Borders action team ready to hit the streets
- Published
The council is investing more than £500,000 in the two action teams this year
A second police Community Action Team (CAT) has been set up to tackle lower level crimes in the Scottish Borders.
The partnership with the local authority targets anti-social behaviour, drugs and illegal parking.
A first team has issued nearly 900 parking tickets and carried out almost 300 drug searches in its first year.
Scottish Borders Council is investing nearly £550,000 in order to add a second team to run alongside the group which started operating in April 2018.
The second CAT will initially operate as a five-strong team but that will increase to seven by the end of the year.
A first team has issued hundreds of parking tickets and carried out numerous drug searches
George Turnbull, SBC's executive member for community safety, said: "When we launched the initial CAT in April 2018 we made sure we collected as much evidence as possible to gauge its success.
"The statistics show they have made a real difference right across the area and we are sure the second CAT will strengthen the positive impact the initial team is already making in the Scottish Borders.
"The council is investing almost £550,000 this year in both CATs - highlighting our commitment to community safety."
Sgt David Rourke, from the CAT, said he was delighted to take up the role.
"We appreciate the importance of local policing and this joint venture between SBC and Police Scotland will help us tackle and address the matters which the public across the Scottish Borders identify through the joint tasking process," he said.
"With the resources of the CAT now strengthened, we look forward to working with our communities to keep the Borders a safe place to live."
- Published6 February 2019
