A DUNFERMLINE councillor witnessed community policing in action after going out on the beat. 

Gavin Ellis, who represents the Dunfermline North ward, accompanied Sergeant Fraser Simpson on a Saturday night shift to get a look at the work they're doing to keep us safe. 

And one of the issues he highlighted is the thin blue line is being stretched due to the drop in police numbers over the past few years.

He told the Press: “It’s difficult to see how much Police Scotland struggle with their staffing numbers and the work pressures they are under with their resources.

"To see obviously the struggles they face with policing with low numbers, I saw that with the team that was on that night, but also saw just how dedicated they were to still carrying on with their other duties as well.”

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While on patrol, the Conservative councillor got to see officers deal with a variety of incidents. 

Cllr Ellis commented: “We got to witness a bit of good community where a female had assisted another female who had a bit too much to drink, they didn’t know each other but she took her in her car and made sure she got home safe.”

Another issue that cropped up during the night was off road motorbikes, an issue that's been highlighted by a number of local communities recently, but other than that he said it was a fairly quiet night on the beat for the cops.

“It was good to see Dunfermline night life enjoying itself again, it’s good to see everybody having a great night out,” he added.

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Although there have been hot spots in and around the city, with a lot of calls about trouble at the bus station, Cllr Ellis noted that the young people he saw out and about were “very well behaved”.

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He said the chance to see community policing in action was an eye-opener and one that both parties are happy to keep going.

He added: “It’s something that when I spoke to Sergeant Fraser about as well, he’s keen that this continues every six months or a year so that, as councillors, we get out and continue to see the changes made.

“From a council point of view, it gives us a much more personal tie with our police rather than being at the end of an email. Makes it a bit more personal as well.”