A NEW committee was set up by Barrhead Community Council in 2008 to tackle crime.

The community council’s education and social justice committee was formed to look into better public safety, reduce drug dependency and raise youth engagement.

The move comes after figures showed that from May 2007 to April 2008 there were 7,831 incidents reported to the police with 1,577 crime reports being raised.

The committee, made up of dedicated volunteers, decided to meet every month to discuss subjects affecting the town, and decide how to seek improvements.

They received reports from East Renfrewshire Council on ‘Ring and Report it’, CCTV and the CCTV response vehicle.

The group’s convener, Alan Kirkwood, said: “This has shown up interesting reading.

“The cameras not only look for crime and anti-social behaviour but also safety issues like focusing on vulnerable people at night to make sure they get home safely.

“They also, at times, identify people, who for whatever reason, find themselves homeless.”

Alan added: “The visit was interesting and the committee learned a lot.

“One point of information is that since the start of 2008, CCTV in East Renfrewshire has detected 1,785 incidents which has resulted in 247 arrests for various forms of crime and anti-social behaviour.”