Communities across rural Perthshire are being supplied with a 20-strong force of cardboard police to deter speeding drivers.
However, the threat of vandalism means the new protections are only likely to be in effect during daylight hours.
Council bosses, who have helped fund the £250-a-head cutouts are asking communities in Highland Perthshire not to leave them out overnight following a string of attacks in other parts of the county.
Most recently deterrents which had been placed in Methven and Almondbank were damaged and stolen.
The Highland Perthshire Action Partnership’s road safety sub-group is behind the bid to install a PC Jim and a PC Kirsty in each community council area in its patch.
The life-size cutout traffic officers have been shown to slow drivers down when they have been deployed elsewhere.
Pitlochry and Moulin Community Council chairman James Laurenson said his group would follow council orders and bring the new speeding deterrents indoors when darkness falls.
Members will also be taking additional steps to keep them secure, he said.
“The busiest areas are the main arteries. They’ll be out for three or four hours at a time, padlocked, and then we’ll move them,” said Mr Laurenson.
“They won’t be staying out overnight as there is a severe danger of them ending up in the loch.”
He said speeding had been a major concern in the area and anything that could be done to combat it was a step forward.
“We acquired some flashing signs which we’ve put on road coming in from Moulin,” he said.
“Now we’ve got these pop-up PCs to scatter around the area. We haven’t decided on exact locations are there are guidelines for where we can and can’t put them so we aren’t blocking the pavement.
“They’re designed to catch drivers’ eyes. Motorists only have a split second to decide whether or not its a real police officer.”
Glenlyon and Loch Tay Community Council chairwoman Susan Dolan-Betney said her group would also act on the council’s advice.
“Speeding is definitely a problem, on the A827 particularly,” she said.
“The main road through Fearnan splits peoples homes from their gardens so there’s lots on coming and going across it. It’s a 40mph road but we’d like to see that lower.
“We’ve been told w’re supposed to bring the pop-up PCs in at nights. Vandalism hasn’t been a problem with the trial PCs we’ve had, but that’s not to say it never would be.”
Highland ward councillor Mike Williamson said the cut out officers had the potential to make a big impact in the regions
The SNP representative said: “The sub group have managed to secure funding for 20 pop-up bobbies, which will allow two to be deployed in each community council area within Highland Perthshire.
“The idea is to educate people to think about their driving in urban and rural areas.”
