Police embed officers at fire stations for Bonfire Night operation

Summarised from 3 outlets · 4 reports · Updated 5 Nov, 14:55 · Archive

Police Scotland will station 20 officers at ten fire stations across Glasgow and surrounding areas on Bonfire Night to protect firefighters.

Police Scotland will station officers at fire stations and travel with emergency crews on Bonfire Night to protect firefighters from potential attacks. Twenty officers will be based at ten fire stations across Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire on November 5. This forms part of what police describe as Scotland's biggest operation since President Donald Trump's visit last summer, with as many as 1,700 officers potentially deployed.

The scale of the operation reflects a combination of concerns. Beyond traditional fireworks-related disorder, a European football match involving Celtic and potential protests in Glasgow are also expected. Police Scotland said it has "absolutely" enough resources to tackle firework-related crime and anti-social behaviour. Additional public order vehicles and drivers are being brought in from 18 police forces across England and Wales under mutual aid arrangements.

Operations superintendent Ross Aitken said extensive planning and analysis based on previous years' demand had taken place. Four firework control zones have been implemented within Glasgow with resources placed in those areas. A dispersal zone has also been established in Pollokshields, which will allow officers to break up groups of two or more people whose behaviour is causing or likely to cause alarm or distress.

Chief Superintendent David Robertson told BBC Radio Scotland that there have been improvements over recent years with reduced incidents of firefighters being targeted on call-outs. He said "there will be a large deployment of officers" to deal with any trouble. "We have seen improvement, but we're not complacent," he said, describing some communities as having experienced fireworks-related behaviour "for, in some instances, more than 10 years now" from what he called "a small minority of individuals".

Operation Moonbeam, Scotland's annual public order operation for Halloween and Bonfire Night, is now in its ninth year. The operation has grown in scale particularly since 2023, when disorder left 62 officers injured, including severe violence in Edinburgh's Niddrie area where groups of youths attacked officers with fireworks, petrol bombs and other missiles. A new initiative, Operation Amberlight, will see officers stationed at selected fire stations to respond immediately if emergency crews come under attack.

How it is being reported

• Scots cops draft in officers from England and Wales ahead of Bonfire NightThe cross-border forces will be called in to help with Bonfire Night operations in the biggest deployment of officers since Donald Trump's visit to Scotland last year.Daily Record · 5 Nov, 12:03
• Police to travel with firefighters on Bonfire Night amid fears of attacksPolice officers will be stationed at fire stations and travel with crews as Scotland prepares for potential violence and disorder on Bonfire NightThe National · 5 Nov, 07:33
• Police to escort fire crews in latest crackdown on Bonfire Night disorderAs many as 1,700 officers could be deployed in the biggest Police Scotland operation since last year's visit by President Trump.BBC Scotland · 4 Nov, 22:53
• Police Scotland reveal major operation amid Bonfire Night concernsPOLICE officers will be based at fire stations in and around Glasgow on Bonfire Night as emergency services say they are “well prepared” for what is expected to be one of the busiest nights of the year.The National · 3 Nov, 13:39

In this story: Police Scotland · Scottish Fire and Rescue Service · Glasgow · East Dunbartonshire · East Renfrewshire · Celtic · Edinburgh · Donald Trump

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