Cop blitz on thugs
Nation’s repeat offenders told to expect ‘knock at the door’ in police crackdown
SCOTLAND’S worst thugs will be getting a “knock at the door” from police in a summer crackdown on violence.
Officers have drawn up a hit-list of repeat offenders who face being rounded up in the wake of a rise in serious assaults and robberies.
Police chiefs aim to take many of them off the streets for breaking bail conditions or over outstanding warrants.
The three-month campaign will also see police focus on alcoholrelated violence, domestic abuse and knife-carrying.
Assistant chief constable Mark Williams was at the launch of the Safe Summer campaign in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh, yesterday.
He said: “In every division across Scotland we know who our top violent offenders are both in public spaces and domestic settings.
“There are scores of them and they can expect a knock at the door. It’s about preventing them from offending in the first place.”
Officers will be working closely with bars, clubs and other licensed premises as part of the blitz.
Williams added: “Fifty to 60 per cent of serious assaults have some link to abusing alcohol.
“And a quarter of all violent crime happens in a domestic setting. We’ll be working hard to target the perpetrators of domestic violence, too.”
Figures show that serious assaults last year rose to 3952 from 3807 in the previous 12 months across Scotland.
Carrying offensive or bladed weapons climbed from to 3107 to 3271 and robberies increased from 1339 to 1435.