Central Scotland Police

Community Contact Scheme

What is the Community Contact Scheme?

Central Scotland Police has long enjoyed an excellent relationship with established minority ethnic communities in the Force area. For some time this was mainly through informal contact between community representatives and officers of our Force.

However, in 2001 it was felt that these arrangements needed to be firmer and, after discussions with key people in minority ethnic communities, a Community Contact Scheme was introduced. Its purpose is to establish regular communications between the Force and community representatives.

I am worried about racial tensions in my area. What should I do?

In the event that you feel threatened in your neighbourhood because of your race, religion or ethnic origin but there is nothing specific which has happened to constitute a crime, we recommend that you contact the nominated representative for your ethnic community. You should inform this person of your concerns and explain, if possible, the reasons behind them.

Your Community Contact will then pass this information on to the police Community Liaison Officer nominated for your community.

Alternatively you may make use of the comment section of this web site to let us know your thoughts on this and other matters.

What happens then?

The Community Liaison Officer will record the information and pass it on to both the local police office covering your neighbourhood and the Force Diversity Strategy Officer. This is to ensure that, if possible or necessary, measures can be taken to address your concerns, both locally and in the wider community.

This information will be assessed along with any related intelligence which may be available and, where appropriate, action will be taken to tackle these issues. The result will be passed back to the Community Contact so that it can be shared with the community as a whole.

The Community Contact will also be made aware of police activity which may have recently affected your community or is expected to do so in the near future. Again, this is intended to reduce concern amongst minority ethnic groups as well as the wider community.

What if I have been the victim of a crime?

If you have been the victim of a crime, whether or not you believe it to be racially motivated or aggravated, you should report it as soon as possible to your local police office. At that point, the procedure outlined in the Repeat Victimisation Scheme will swing into action to ensure you receive the highest level of service. Or you may wish to report this crime remotely or through a third party. These options are available to you through clicking on the highlighted links.

We aim to promote harmonious relationships between the many cultures living in our society. To do that best we need you to tell us the sort of things which are causing you concern. Only then can we take action to help reduce or eradicate them.

For further informationplease contact the Force Diversity Officer on 01786 826022 or by e-mail at john.baillie@centralscotland.police.uk