Construction work has started on a new partnership location for community safety services in Renfrewshire.
The new Renfrewshire Community Safety Partnership Hub is being built on the site of the former District Court in Mill Street, Paisley.
The new facility will be home to the Renfrewshire Community Safety Partnership, which includes officers from Renfrewshire Council, Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
The partnership coordinates the work of community safety activities such as police, fire, wardens, antisocial behaviour investigators and noise enforcement officers.
The hub will incorporate a new integrated control room for monitoring and analysing CCTV cameras in public spaces across Renfrewshire and is part of a £1.3m programme that includes the upgrading and extension of the current CCTV camera network.
Councillor Tommy Williams, convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Housing and Community Safety Policy Board, said:
“Community safety is a key priority for Renfrewshire Council and our community planning partners.
“Bringing the council’s wardens, noise enforcement and antisocial behaviour investigations services together in a modern, purpose-built facility alongside our key community planning partners in the police and fire and rescue services will allow us to deliver better, more joined-up solutions for community safety in Renfrewshire.
“We want to build on our strong track record of tackling antisocial behaviour in Renfrewshire.
“We upgraded our public space CCTV coverage to a new state-of-the-art digital system last year.
“The new control room will allow us to provide an even better service to deter crime and antisocial behaviour and improve the way we analyse incidents.”
Chief Superintendent Jim Downie of Police Scotland said:
“Our focus is local policing, serving the public and keeping our communities safe; and we cannot achieve this alone.
“We have achieved sustainable solutions to many local issues through first class partnerships with Renfrewshire Council, the fire and rescue and health services, and other members of Renfrewshire Community Planning Partnership.
“The new community safety partnership hub will allow partners to continue to address the community’s concerns, protecting the public and those who are most vulnerable in our communities.
“By working closely together in this way we are helping to make Renfrewshire a safer place to live in, work in and visit.”
The community safety partnership hub is expected to be fully operational by the summer.