ON THE BEAT Burnbank is a top priority
The Burnbank Centre is an area which, in recent years, has been subject to local community concern regarding people frequenting the area under the influence of alcohol and drugs, some committing acts of serious violence.
This has resulted in residents and business owners feeling intimidated within their own community.
The position of the police is clear – we have taken, and will continue to take, a zero-tolerance approach to any form of anti-social behaviour. People should feel safe going about their daily business.
Recent serious crimes have all been detected, with people being arrested and reported to the procurator fiscal, and we have increased the number of patrols in the area.
There have been several alcohol, drug and weapon seizures. These detections don’t attract the same attention on social media, meaning the perception of the action taken can often be very different from the reality.
I have personally liaised with local elected officials, partner agencies and business owners, and know there is a real collective will to make improvement in the area. What is clear is this situation cannot be improved by policing alone. It can often be the case that those we charge with offences already have significant criminal histories, so it is clear that police action has been taken locally, yet issues still persist.
Moving forward, the Burnbank Centre will continue to be a priority area for us, and residents and business owners will continue to see an increased police presence.
Plain-clothes officers will also operate in the area and, where there is sufficient community intelligence, we will execute search warrants at addresses where we suspect people may be storing or dealing drugs.
Local management monitor all calls to the police on a daily basis and would encourage anyone to report any acts of anti-social behaviour to the police or South Lanarkshire Council.
With the support and co-operation of the community, we will continue to work with all stakeholders to improve the situation.
While combatting violence is one of our key priorities, we often look for assistance in relation to another priority crime – housebreaking.
About 7.30pm on June 27, at Fleming Way, Hamilton, there was an attempted housebreaking. The householder heard noise coming from the front door and noticed the handle had been removed.
Another housebreaking occurred at 5.30pm on June 28, at Hamilton Place. The suspect forced entry via a door, thereafter stealing property from within. A male wearing a hoody was seen running off.
The front door of a property in Donaldson Street, Hamilton, was also forced between 9.15pm on June 28 and 5.30pm on June 29, and items were stolen.
Finally, between 2am and 5am on June 30, a vehicle was stolen from Waterfall Terrace, Blantyre, after the keys were taken from a house. The vehicle was later recovered on Blantyre Farm Road.
If you have any information you feel should be reported, or information on any of the crimes previously detailed, please contact the police using 101, or via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.