Whitburn homes are targeted by police
Drug warrants were executed at four properties in North Reeves Place, Taylor Road, Craig Avenue and Dixon Terrace.
As a result heroin worth nearly £300 was recovered along with 160g of amphetamine worth £1600.
In addition, £ 2000 in cash was seized along with a number of mobile phones, drug paraphernalia and equipment used in the cultivation of cannabis.
Two men aged 43 and 51 have been charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act and reports will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal, while a 30-year-old man was arrested on an outstanding warrant.
High-visibility reassurance patrols were then carried out in the targeted areas with
police conducting a letter drop encouraging residents to come forward with information relating to ongoing criminal activity.
Police chiefs say that while the operation aims to crack down on crime and disorder, it is also about engaging with the community and listening to what residents want from the police and other bodies.
To that end public surgeries were held in the town throughout this week as Operation Pinpoint - a joint operation between the police, West Lothian Council and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service - continues.
A final surgery will be held between 7pm and 9pm tonight (Thursday) at the street fair.
Chief Inspector Barry Blair explained he hoped the campaign would leave a “lasting legacy” in Whitburn.
“Operation Pinpoint is a means of pinpointing resources into areas and through community engagement identifying and tackling areas that are a priority,” he said.
“This kicked off with drug warrants enforcement when we targeted a number of premises and had some good results from it.”
He continued: “Operation Pinpoint has already had great success in Armadale and other areas of West Lothian, where we have seen a reduction in crime and an improvement in the community’s willingness to engage with the police and council.
“We hope to see similar results following our targeted week of activities within Whitburn and I would like to urge the local residents and businesses to get in touch with us to provide more information on the crimes and other issues affecting your area so we can respond accordingly.”
Chief Inspector Blair said while Operation Pinpoint aimed to show people that the police were “listening to them” it is also a joint initiative between officers, West Lothian Council and other organisations to highlight the services that are available to everyone living in Whitburn.
Sergeant Vince Hughes, of the police’s Community Action Team, said the raids on Monday morning were just one part of Operation Pinpoint, adding the morning had been a success.
He continued: “The message we want to put out to the community is that we are not apathetic and we will respond to the intelligence that people give us.
“However, the key theme of Operation Pinpoint is not just enforcement, but engagement.
“We want those who live and work within Whitburn to feel confident about picking up the phone to us and report a crime or provide information that can assist with an ongoing investigation.
“We will also be working extensively with the West Lothian Council Environmental Officers to conduct environmental audits of the Whitburn area and identify locations that require either a police or council intervention to improve public safety and reduce crime.
“Operation Pinpoint can only be successful if we have the support of the public and I would urge anyone who would like to report a crime or provide us with any information they think would be relevant to a police inquiry, to contact us on 101.”
Executive councillor for services for the community George Paul added: “West Lothian Council is pleased to work alongside our partners at Police Scotland to help tackle some of the big issues affecting our communities. Operation Pinpoint has already produced positive results in Armadale, so I hope Whitburn residents will also positively engage with the police and council to address any issues in their town.”