AS CHIEF Inspector Neil Mitchell is away from the office this week, I thought it would be a good opportunity to write an article and introduce myself.

I am Inspector Stuart Fletcher and I recently took up the post of deputy local area commander in East Lothian. I have over 20 years’ police service in a variety of roles, the majority focused on community policing and partnership working. I am delighted to be here and to have the opportunity to build upon the existing tradition of close partnership working across the area.

My aim is to have visible and accessible community policing which is responsive to the needs of people who live, work in and visit East Lothian. I am proud to have joined a team of excellent and committed community officers and to now work alongside colleagues in East Lothian Council and other organisations. As we move into the summer months and see the further reduction in lockdown restrictions, I wanted to tell you about some of the work we will be progressing.

We know from engaging with communities and residents that the anti-social use of off-road motorcycles is a problem in certain areas. To seek to address this, we are working in partnership under the badge of Operation Reboot to put in place ways to prevent illegal use, educate and enforce the law regarding the use of these bikes. Work will include surveys of affected areas to put in place measures to stop people from using off-road bikes in that location. In addition, we are working with motorcycle associations in order to provide educational messages and will also put in place ‘days of action’ to trace those responsible for illegally using off-road bikes and enforce road traffic law appropriately. We want people to be able to use off-road bikes safely and legally with the long-term aim of finding an appropriate location for their use. If you are affected by this issue and would like to speak to police about your experiences, please get in touch.

We are also continuing to work as part of the East Lothian Partnership Against Rural Crime or ELPARC for short. This is a valuable local group which acts to tackle a wide variety of crimes and issues that affect our rural communities and areas. You may have seen a colleague of mine dressed as ‘SPARCI’ the ELPARC mascot at some events recently. Over the coming months, this group will work towards such areas as fly-tipping, poaching, livestock attack and fire prevention. There will also be an increased social media presence, so where you see ELPARC on Facebook or Twitter, give them a follow and you can hear about the work. You will also see police officers at local pop-up police events and Haddington Farmer’s Market. Please do come and say hello, you may even get to meet ‘SPARCI’.

We are your police and are always keen to hear your thoughts on how we should deploy and respond to incidents. You all had your say in identifying our police priorities and I am currently working on a variety of initiatives, campaigns and days of action to support these, whilst also planning for Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night. East Lothian is an area of outstanding beauty and I will make sure we work closely with our partners to keep it that way. I have thoroughly enjoyed my start here and look forward with great enthusiasm to the months and years ahead.