Chief Inspector Barry McEwan wants the community to reclaim places like Peel Park and to work with the police to combat crime.

Chief Inspector McEwan (42) took up his new post at the beginning of May.

He joined the force in 1987 and lives in Mossend, North Lanarkshire, with wife Margo and their three children.

He previously worked in the East End of Glasgow, as well as serving a seven-year stint as a sergeant in South Glasgow and South Lanarkshire.

He said: "Moving to Kirkintilloch is definitely a breath of fresh air. It's a real change from working in the East End of Glasgow, where you deal with lots of hard issues in difficult areas.

"My experience in South Lanarkshire allowed me to be very community oriented and to look at how to solve problems together with the public and our partner organisations.

"That's how I want to target problems in Kirkintilloch and the surrounding areas - primarily incidences of anti-social behaviour which interfere with people's lives.

"This includes the behaviour of minority groups of youths congregating in streets and parks.

"Initially we will be looking to target the under-age drinking and ensure we search them for anything illegal.

"I want the community of Kirkintilloch to be able to get back into places like Peel Park.

"We will do our job, but members of the public also have a responsibility to interact with the community policing team and report crimes.

"It's not all about reducing bad behaviour though. It's also about trying to promote good behaviour. This is something we can work on with our partners."

Chief Inspector McEwan also wants residents to make sure they keep an eye on vulnerable neighbours and be more careful when it comes to protecting their valuables.

To report anti-social behaviour, or any other crime, phone Kirkintilloch police office on 0141 532 4400 or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.