Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Criminals warned as crackdown begins
New chief looks to the future
Police officers at Lanarkshire Division have launched an operation to crack down on violent crime, drug dealing, antisocial behaviour and housebreakings.
Operation Forward began at the end of last month and is a concentrated effort to target those involved in violent crime or other behaviour which negatively impacts on communities across the region.
Over an eight- week period, officers from a variety of departments, including community policing and criminal investigation, are working solely on the community concerns which have been raised during recent consultations with the public.
The new local policing commander for Lanarkshire Division, Chief Superintendent Alan Waddell, said: “In my short time as local policing commander at Lanarkshire, I can see what a vibrant and diverse area it is, and it is my absolute commitment to deliver the best policing I can to people who live, work or socialise in the area.
“The focus of Operation Forward is upon reducing harm, and to do so, we will be actively targeting those who commit violence, deal drugs, or break into people’s homes.
“Anyone involved in such activity should expect to see my officers in the coming days and weeks. These types of crimes have a real impact on people and we are determined to do all we can to reduce the instances.”
Chief Superintendent Waddell added: “We are proud to have strong rel ationships with a number of partners across Lanarkshire, and we’ll be liaising with them throughout this operation.
“For example, we’ll have officers working with local authority colleagues to tackle anti-social behaviour.
“We would be very keen to hear from any local residents who have any particular concerns in their area to contact police to highlight these. Working together with our communities is incredibly important for Lanarkshire Division.”