A police helicopter has been circling above Dundee during a “week of action”.
The air support unit is one of several extra resources made available to officers in the city over the last few days.
In the first three days of the operation – designed to “intensify” local policing activity – officers carried out six warrants and made 17 arrests.
Police have dealt with concerns related to domestic incidents, drugs and human trafficking, as well as ongoing problems involving electric bikes.
Detective Superintendent Ray Birnie told The Courier: “This week is intensification week across the whole of Tayside.
“Policing is a 24/7 operation and that carries on regardless in Tayside but what we are trying to do this week is to intensify our activities and bring in more resources by taking officers out of offices, by restricting their leave this week – unfortunately – and also by bringing in support units.
“This includes the helicopter that has been based at Dundee Airport this week, which is a first for Tayside Division.
“We’ve also got support from police dog handlers, from road policing colleagues and from special constables who assist us.
Police helicopter circling Dundee during ‘intensification week’
“What the helicopter does is it gives us an immediate response to anything that is going on in Tayside.
“We have access to the helicopter throughout the year anyway but it is based outwith Tayside Division.
“It lessens the response time and it just gives us that tactical option through the control room to respond to things quicker, which we have done this week.
“Some of it is situationally based, some of it is down to chance and fate as to how we use that helicopter but having it here is really great operationally and I think it is also great for the public and our staff to see the assets we have available through Police Scotland.”
On Thursday, officers executed a warrant in the Fairmuir area of the city in connection with a human trafficking investigation.
Supt Birnie said: “Our aims for this week have been making communities safer, reducing crime and safeguarding victims.
“In the first three days we’ve done six search warrant executions across Tayside for a mixture of things, from human trafficking to drugs operations.
“We’ve also made 17 arrests over and above the arrests we would make on a daily basis anyway.
“In addition to that, importantly, we have safeguarded victims by working with partner agencies, and we’ve also increased our visibility across the division.
“We’ve had a range of activity this week including high visibility patrols, which have been important because it allows the public to see police out there and engage with them physically and verbally.
“But we have done many other things: domestics, drugs, human trafficking, the road policing unit has been focusing on road safety and the electronic bike issue that we have not only in Tayside but across Scotland.
“There are also many other areas from sexual crime and arresting people under warrant – there has been a multitude of tasks; all tasks that go on anyway, but not with the resources that we have had this week.”
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