EDINBURGH police have posted a series of poems accompanied by Lego comics to try to make residents more security conscious.
The police Twitter feed has been posting the images and poems as a part of Operation RAC, the initiative to reduce the number of housebreaking incidents in the city.
A sample poem, written in the Scot’s dialect, reads:
“Lock yer tools away n keep them oot o’ view
Having em on display makes i easy for the housebreaking crew”
“Store them safely ‘n’ use a security device
And prevent them getting nicked n paying a hefty price.”
The pictures and poems have come in response to the rate of housebreakings in the city doubling over the last three months.
But the publicity stunt has been met with harsh criticism from those who suggested that crime would be reduced by more police on the beat, rather than social media stunts.
Peter Swanson, a victim of housebreaking in Newhaven, Edinburgh, said: “Why would they bother doing that? Lego? It’s a joke. Police Scotland is a waste of time.”
“It’s a money-saving thing, obviously to the detriment of policing. The cartoons are stupid. Get the guys back on the street.”
A spokesman for the force said: “Over 354,000 people have already seen this campaign on social media giving us significant reach for crime prevention messages.”
“Social media is an important tool for communicating with the public. It allows us to provide vital information on crime prevention and advice on keeping safe.”
