LAYING Drug tip-offs lead to arrests
WITH DIVISIONAL COMMANDER CHIEF SUPT GORDON CROSSAN
Each week, Renfrewshire’s top cop, Chief Superintendent Gordon Crossan, gives us his expert take on the major policing issues facing the area.
This week, he talks about how his officers are clamping down on drug use across the region.
The scourge of drug misuse affects us all — from users and communities to public services.
This week, I want to focus on the supply of drugs and the work to tackle the sale, supply and harm.
Readers may be aware that Police Scotland has been criticised in the past for disproportionate use of stop and search powers. This led to the creation of a new Code of Practice (CoP).
I want to reassure readers that I have every confidence my officers are carrying out increased stop and search activity in accordance with the CoP.
I previously asked our communities to help us by providing us with information about those involved in the sale or supply of drugs.
I am delighted and humbled by the response from our communities, which has led to a significant increase in activity from officers acting on your concerns. For that, I thank you and want to let you know the impact this has had across our communities.
My officers are carrying out stop and searches at homes and of people where we have credible information they are involved in the supply of drugs.
The results of these has been nothing short of first class.
For operational reasons, including ongoing investigations and live cases with the Procurator Fiscal Service, I cannot go into specifics of our activity.
However, I can generalise some of the seizures, which have included a number of firearms with ammunition, in excess of two kilograms of heroin, several kilos of amphetamine, several cannabis cultivations and tens of thousands of Valium and etizolam tablets, which are unlicensed in the UK.
The quantity of drugs being recovered is significant.
However, we cannot and will not take our eye off the ball and continue to pro-actively tackle those who are intent on profiteering by peddling drugs in our communities.
I want to make Renfrewshire and Inverclyde a hostile area for dealers by working with communities and partners to harvest quality intelligence that we can act on.
We are in the process of forming a multi-agency Serious Organised Crime Board, which will enhance our partnership approach to making this a nogo zone for drug dealers.
The board will bring together a diverse range of partners focussing on detecting offenders, disrupting organised crime groups, deterring dealers, as well as supporting users through diverting them from drug misuse.
An important part of the divert tactic will be working with children and young people to raise awareness to the unseen consequences of misuse, encouraging them to avoid drugs at the earliest stages of their development.
Drug-related deaths are on the rise across Scotland — each having a detrimental impact on their families, friends and communities.
We must do all we can to discourage young people from using drugs.
On the run up to the festive period, we will increase our proactive response to dealing, so please do keep the information coming.
You can call us on 101, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Last week, I wrote in hope that everyone had an enjoyable and peaceful Bonfire Night and I am delighted to report that, in the main, the evening passed without significant incident.
I would like to thank our partners, particularly the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Renfrewshire Council, for their proactive preventative work, which saw a reduction in the amount of bonfires and increased safety measures around those that took place.
To our communities, thank you also for working with us to ensure we all had an enjoyable and safe night.