NOWHERE TO HIDE...
Drones set to be used to curb antisocial behaviour
Mass gatherings of teens will be watched from the sky – and by cops on horses and trail bikes.
East Renfrewshire’s police commander has revealed that suburban bolt holes in parks and on the edge of countryside will be under scrutiny like never before.
It follows trouble in locations such as Fereneze Golf Club, in Barrhead, as bored kids come together, drink alcohol and cause damage.
The get- tough operation is designed to change the impression that police can only stick to the roads in squad cars and will not watch hidden haunts.
Chief Inspector Alan Gray said he accepts most kids will just be trying to enjoy themselves in the summer.
And he said: “I have no wish to stigmatise the children – they all deserve a decent summer after what everyone has gone through.
“But they need to know if things go bad or wrong, then we will be ready to act.”
His words follow a weekend in which a Police Scotland drone was drafted into the area to scan known hangouts for the first time.
Mass gatherings are easily arranged on social media, leaving officers to play catch-up.
With the better weather coming in and the likelihood of families not going on holiday, police are planning for a summer like no other.
Violence reduction officers have also taken to off-road motorbikes to make youngsters aware that leafy spots are not outside the reach of the law.
A Police Scotland drone will be drafted in to cover vast swathes of terrain, including Barrhead Dams where youths have been ripping up the area on quad bikes.
Barrhead has been hit with multiple incidents of vandalism, with consecutive nights of 100- strong groups plaguing Fereneze Golf Club.