IT'S JUST about Easter, the clocks have gone forward and spring is upon us.

We are all looking forward to getting a little more freedom as the lockdown eases and the weather improves.

I have written in previous columns about the partnership work to prepare the county for the expected increase of footfall onto the beaches and coast roads this year and wanted to provide you some reassurance.

Working in partnership, we are doing all we can to minimise disruption whilst making the coastline and roads safe for all.

I ask that you keep up to date with what’s happening and follow the messages across East Lothian Council and Police Scotland’s Facebook and Twitter pages; we will keep these up to date with all the information you need.

On the subject of social media, I wanted to explain a few things that get regularly commented upon when we post updates on our activity.

When we post, we do not reply to any comments and this is because the platforms are not monitored all the time and on some occasions those who manage our social media may be on holiday or days off.

Our social media is not for reporting crime and we do not engage in debate as our officers prefer to be out patrolling their communities.

One topic that always gets plenty of comments is speeding, particularly with the introduction of the 20mph limits in the towns across the county.

My officers spend a lot of time doing road and speed checks and, where motorists drive above the speed limit, they are issued with fixed penalty tickets or reported to the Procurator Fiscal (dependent on the recorded speed).

However, we will always take a preventative approach and our goal is to prevent speeding, not catch someone speeding.

That’s why we tell you where and when we will be carrying out speed checks and where we issue warnings to drivers – these are based on the Lord Advocate’s guidelines and are again dependent on the speed recorded.

My community policing team regularly carry out speed awareness initiatives, which is where we work with schools and community councils to educate passing drivers on the dangers of speeding.

This week, we took possession of our new ‘road safety crew’ and this will be utilised at all primary schools over the next year to highlight the dangers of inconsiderate parking and speeding near our schools.

Keep up to date on our social media channels to see more about the road safety crew, which will be deployed for the first time this week in Prestonpans.

The location of our speed checks is another theme which attracts plenty of comments on social media.

The locations are determined through an evidence-based approach utilising all the data available to us.

Most of our locations are near or at schools or areas where we have identified a problem.

Contrary to some of the comments, police officers’ pay is not in any way linked to the number of speeding tickets, or any other tickets, we issue.

If speeding is a local community and police partnership (CAPP) priority then local officers will enforce that separately.

Speeding is dangerous and an offence and we will always take a robust approach to this conduct.

Improving road safety is one of our local policing plan priorities and we have lots of creative and innovate plans for the year ahead to make the roads safer for all.

Our national motorcycle safety campaign has started and we will be increasing the speed checks on the roads and utilising the mobile safety camera van, as well as our deploying additional road policing officers in cars and on motorbikes.

Please always drive to the conditions and obey the speed limits for the safety of us all.