'Your Police, You Decide' - 14 groups successful

Fourteen groups in Caithness have been successful in receiving a share of funding to help make a difference in the local area.

The ‘Your Police, You Decide’ initiative launched by Police Scotland and Caithness Voluntary Group allowed people living in the area had their say by voting on local projects and organisations which aim to improve safety and wellbeing.

The Scottish Government provided the funding as part of a pilot to strengthen local democracy, ensuring that communities can participate in decisions affecting their local area.

Voting, which took place online on Police Scotland’s Ideas platform and in person at locations in Wick, Thurso and Dunbeath, opened on 25 November and closed on Sunday 18 December.

Fourteen groups were successful and additional investment means that a total of £33,815 has been made available to support these initiatives that aim to improve health and wellbeing and tackle poverty.

Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Conrad Trickett has welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with communities, strengthening the collective response to some of our most pressing challenges including poor mental health, poverty and drug and alcohol use.

He said: “Understanding the concerns of communities in Caithness is at the heart of community policing. This participatory budget goes the next step and asks communities to both identify problems and design and find solutions.

“The community has come forward to work with us and we are pleased to have had the opportunity to work together with residents to make this happen. The successful projects will make a real difference to peoples’ lives.

“I very much celebrate this innovative approach to working with communities in Caithness.”

For more information on ‘Your Police, You Decide’, and to view the list of all successful projects, visit: https://consult.scotland.police.uk/strategy-insight-and-innovation/caithness/