We aren’t far away from the anniversary of the Kirkton riot of October 31, 2022 and Dundee City Council could have taken a decisive step to ensure there won’t be a repeat.
But they haven’t done so.
In June, the Scottish Government passed Firework Control Zones (FCZ) legislation, which gave local authorities the ability to create areas where it is illegal to set off fireworks.
However, there has to be an eight-week consultation period, followed by a further two-month notice period.
Not just Dundee, no local authority in Scotland launched a consultation to set up an FCZ.
And now it is too late. The consultation and notice periods take 16 weeks – November 5 is only 13 weeks away.
Too late for firework ban in Dundee
The introduction of these powers stemmed from campaigning by police following significant disorder around Bonfire Night in 2022. The worst disturbance in Scotland, as we know, was in Kirkton.
That night, Dundee City Council leader John Alexander compared the Kirkton scenes to a “war-torn nation” and “the sort of thing you’d expect in an action movie”. Dundee’s MSPs Joe FitzPatrick and Shona Robison wrote a joint letter of concern to the police commissioner.
The police lobbied the government for more powers under the law. Holyrood obliged. But the city council hasn’t used the legislation.
Why not?
And I wonder what the police think of this inaction?
I reckon I can I tell you what lots of kids saw in the Kirkton riots: a chance to wreak havoc, chase the police out their area, and an opportunity to raise merry hell with almost no consequences.
There might be a few who fancy another go this year.
Would you be surprised, this winter, to see disturbances in Dundee in which rockets are launched at the emergency services?
I doubt the police and firies will be surprised either. I hope it won’t happen, but it certainly can’t be discounted.
For laddies of a certain age and disposition, getting their hands on fireworks is like being equipped with artillery. Not many of them would confront a firefighter face to face (they’d not come out of that well) but fire a rocket at them? That’s a lot easier.
What is being done to prevent a repeat of last year? What’s the council’s plan? How are the emergency services to be protected?
Surely there is a plan, because we couldn’t have all the colourful “war-torn” language just nine months ago then blithely disregard the possibility of repeat problems this year.
I’m sure there is a plan. There has to be a plan. What is it?
If the government’s FCZ legislation wasn’t enacted, and no other preparations have been made, how are we to stop lives being endangered by firework-launching youths in Dundee this winter?
Mr Alexander, Mr FitzPatrick, Ms Robison – don’t say you weren’t warned, don’t wring your hands and issue calls for action when bonfire season comes around.
And don’t be surprised by which direction the fingers of blame will point.
