A FORMER Police Scotland chief inspector wants to ‘empower’ a Peeblesshire community to help prevent anti-social behaviour.

Graham Goulden, of West Linton, has specialised in training bystanders since leaving the force.

Through his business Cultivating Minds UK, he has developed leadership programmes aimed at inspiring people to take action when they see poor behaviour and to prevent abuse or violence.

Mr Goulden was invited to speak at West Linton Community Council (WLCC) following instances of anti-social behaviour last year outside the primary school.

“I have particularly looked at the role of bystanders and how we empower people in communities to step up,” he said. “One particular initiative I have supported is based on the saying, ‘Friends don’t let friends get hurt’.

“Anyone can be an active bystander.

“Decades of research confirms that active-bystandership is a skill that can be trained.

“Just because you don’t act today doesn’t mean you can’t tomorrow.”

Since retiring in 2017, latterly with Police Scotland’s violence reduction unit, Mr Goulden has spoken to groups, from high schools to local councils and major sports teams round the world, focusing on bystander education and violence prevention.

Mr Goulden said: “I run online and face-to-face workshops to teach people what to say and do in situations including during anti-social behaviour.

“I call it community motion training and tend to focus on friend groups and peers as all of us have a moral compass.

“Many continue to ignore the term bystander or simply see it as a negative.

“The reality is that we are all bystanders in those first seconds.

“It’s what we do next that counts.

“Remaining passive not only signals an acceptance for a behaviour, but it also leads to others being passive.”

WLCC’s Diane Beards said that through Mr Goulden’s training it might be possible to engage with other issues facing the community, such as speeding.

Mr Goulden said that it might not be easy to tell a friend about their poor behaviour, but through a training event it becomes more generalised. He added: “Bigger group training is better because the conversation goes deeper, it is not just about what you learn from me but what you learn from each other.”

WLCC member Lindsay Mann said: “In last year’s survey we were asking what do you want us to do to make the village better, this training could fit part of that question.”

WLCC member Doug Veitch sounded a note of caution and said: “How do we stop a sort of Guardian Angels vigilante group from forming?”

Mr Goulden assured the meeting that a vigilante scenario was an unlikely outcome.