Operation Respect partners offering safety advice ahead of expected busy weekend

With the city centre expected to be busy this weekend with shoppers by day and revellers by night, partners of Operation Respect are asking members of the public to be mindful of their personal safety.

The previous two weekends have seen a large volume of people come to the city centre to access shops and businesses, with this expected to continue. The Security Task Team and the ShopSafe system, whereby shop staff are able to communicate with partners and Police quickly by radio, will be working to keep shoppers safe as they have been in recent weeks. However, there are simple measures the public can take to avoid becoming a victim of theft, such as keeping valuables out of sight in their vehicles and keeping their bags and wallets on their person at all times.

Malcolm Raeburn, Community Safety Manager for Inverness BID said: "There have been a number of instances where our team have been able to deter those attempting theft and in a few cases those committing such an offence, were caught and reported to police.

"I would like to encourage the public to take every precaution they can to stay safe and protect their belongings during this busy time."

The Security Task Team will work through the day and into the evening when they are joined by Street Pastors, Taxi Marshals and additional police officer patrols, to keep those within the city centre safe.

Mark Hadfield, Street Pastors Coordinator, said: "Since the start of Operation Respect this year, volunteers have completed over 122 hours providing everything from general advice to those not familiar with the area, assisting partners in the operation with various incidents, providing various safety items to those in need and in a few cases helped refer people to emergency accommodation or to receive medical treatment.

"All partners are working together during Operation Respect to keep the city centre a safe place for people to visit and enjoy and we hope this will continue this weekend."

With the weather conditions forecast to turn once again, those coming into the city centre in the evenings are urged to plan their journeys in advance.

Malcolm Raeburn offered some advice on the subject: "The is a Night Bus service running that goes from the city centre to Kinmylies, Hilton, Culloden and Balloch and run from 11pm until 4am so I would encourage those enjoying a night out to take advantage of this cheap service. If the public wish to take taxis home I would urge them to book in advance or if waiting in a taxi queue, to be prepared as they may have to face a slightly longer wait than normal in very cold conditions."