This is my first column of the year and while the time for wishing everyone a Happy New Year has passed, it is my sincere hope that 2025 shapes up to be a safe and prosperous time for you all.
It would be remis of me not to begin this column with addressing the tragic events that unfolded in West Calder earlier this month, with the murder of six-year-old Hope Gordon.
This was a shocking incident that will have a long-term impact on Hope’s family and the community as a whole.
If there was any glimmer of light within this most horrendous of circumstances, it was the overwhelming outcry of support from the public, both for our investigation, and to those directly affected by Hope’s death.
I want to make it clear that while an incident such of this can cause fear and alarm within communities, we have no evidence to suggest that the person responsible for Hope’s death has evaded justice.
Following the recent adverse weather we experienced as part of Storm Eowyn, I’d like to give recognition to all West Lothian’s local policing teams, Road Policing officers and other emergency service colleagues who worked tirelessly in extremely hazardous conditions to keep the public safe and respond to the various weather-related incidents that arose.
We’re no strangers to bad weather in Scotland, so in advance of the storm, we worked closely with partners at the Met Office, West Lothian Council, Transport Scotland, and the Scottish Government to provide the most up to date picture on Storm Eowyn and deliver warnings about staying home and refraining from travel.
My thanks also go to the public who adhered to these warnings and did not travel while the red weather warning was in place. This made our efforts to keep people safe much easier and significantly reduced the likelihood of serious injury occurring on our roads or streets.
Looking forward in 2025, your local policing teams will continue to address the issues and crime trends most adversely affecting your area and you have a vital role to play in helping shape our policing priorities for where you live.
You can do so by engaging with us at community surgeries, community council meetings, or by participating in our Your Police survey, which is available on our website at www.scotland.police.uk.
We know that preventing criminal activity is an important step in building confidence in policing and is a fundamental consideration for the proactive work we carry out within West Lothian.
In the coming months we will be commencing a new project in the region, targeting young people. The aim of this initiative is to divert youths at risk of getting involved in criminal activity away from such scenarios and encourage them to make positive lifestyle choices that can have a benefit to both themselves, and their community.
More details of this will follow, so please keep reading future editions of this column, and follow us on social media.
Don’t miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier. Sign up to our free newsletter here.