Work done over the last year by the Safer Neighbourhoods Team (SNT), alongside other groups and organisations, has led to a positive 'score card' in several different areas.

Local councillors and Chief Inspector Gary Crawford have admitted achievements have been helped by "community intelligence" and increased confidence in the authorities with everyone working together.

And although work is far from over, the SNT, comprising of staff from Fife Council, Police, Fire and Rescue and Victim Support, have achieved improvements in several areas including:
15 per cent reduction in vandalism
10 per cent reduction in secondary fires
42 per cent increase in noise complaints received
7 per cent increase in detection rates

Chief Inspector Gary Crawford said: "These achievements have been made possible by a partnership between the SNT and local frontline staff, who meet regularly using community intelligence to identify problem areas. They can then put actions in place by allocating tasks to the appropriate service.

"The SNT has built on this approach by establishing a problem solving group specifically for alcohol and underage drinking. The team works with local agencies and traders to raise public awareness of these issues, particularly around 'agent' sales, where an adult buys alcohol for people who are underage."

Local councillors Neil Crooks, David Ross and Carol Lindsay highlighted other areas of improvement following on from a community event held in December last year.

Cllr Crooks explained: "Several homes are now safer, thanks to advice from the fire service and police, our council houses are improving thanks to massive investment by Fife Council in roofs, heating, windows and doors, kitchens and bathrooms and we will continue to press for more.

"Anti-social behaviour is reducing thanks to people working together, and trust in the police is growing as more and more people give intelligence to them about drugs and alcohol issues.

"Fair Isle school's Big Lottery grant has been used to fund several initiatives which are literally changing lives as parents and children learn new skills that most people take for granted like reading and writing and cooking.

"We will be looking in detail at what has been done and what is still to do and will form an action plan which will help attract and direct investment in the future. I hope and believe that growing public confidence is evidence of change.

"People who want to spoil things through anti-social behaviour will stand out more and more from the crowd and will become more and more isolated in our community as public confidence grows and a civic pride is restored."

Cllr David Ross added: "The important thing is that it's not just left to the statutory authorities, the community has got a big role to play and they are starting to do that."