Tackling ASB in the Festive Night-time Economy
December’s session was a timely one — Superintendent Jen Valentine from Police Scotland’s Highlands and Islands Division shared the story of Operation Respect, a multi-agency initiative running across the festive period in Inverness and the wider Highland area.
The premise is straightforward but the execution is anything but. Operation Respect brings together Police Scotland, NHS Highland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Ambulance Service, Highland Council, the Inverness Business Improvement District, Street Pastors, and a range of third sector partners to coordinate their activity across the busiest weeks of the year. The aim is to keep the festive period safe and enjoyable — but also to make sure vulnerable people don’t fall through the gaps at a time when risk can be elevated.
What makes it interesting is how the operation has evolved. It started as an ASB and public safety response, focused on alcohol-related crime, anti-social behaviour, and crimes of dishonesty. But the remit has expanded to include people made vulnerable through loneliness and isolation, those at risk in private spaces, and the safety of lone women. That expansion reflects a more honest reckoning with where harm actually happens during the festive season.
A few specifics stood out. A dedicated mental health vehicle — staffed by a community psychiatric professional, a paramedic, and a police officer — operates during the operation, enabling much faster and more appropriate responses to mental health crises. Café 1668, a social café in Inverness city centre supported by Street Pastors and the Medical Emergency Response Team, serves as a safe zone for vulnerable people. Shopsafe Radios link businesses into the partnership. And a ’12 Days of Christmas’ media strategy runs alongside the operation, with messaging timed to coincide with the 16 Days of Violence campaign.
The session also touched on areas for further development — widening the time period of the initiative and bringing in more third sector involvement.
Interested in learning more? Get in touch at hello@scscotland.org.uk to request the presentation slides.
Recent Posts
