A police task force targeting Forfar’s Viewmount estate has said locals there or anywhere else in Angus should not be frightened to identify those blighting their community.
Members of the team joined local officers and community wardens to form a high-profile presence on the streets of the Viewmount, St James Road and the Glens housing estate on Thursday, in an initiative that has already resulted in a number of drug-related arrests.
The Forfar community is the latest to come under the spotlight of the task force, in response to a deluge of complaints over anti-social behaviour and drug abuse.
Residents have complained of drug abuse in the common stairwells of flats, discarded needles in the parks that sit in the shadow of the Balmashanner war memorial and nightmarish living conditions caused by anti-social residents whose all-night parties keep law-abiding citizens awake.
Forfar-based police community liaison officer Ally Smith said the high-profile police presence was an opportunity for locals to air their concerns, and many had done so.
“Angus Council has been carrying out an appraisal in the area and our presence is to also help us get a better understanding of the area and the issues of concern to people. Anti-social behaviour and problems in relation to the misuse of drugs are top of the list, but concerns over things like dog fouling have also been raised,” said PC Smith.
The initiative has seen drugs search warrants executed and those apprehended are working their way through the courts.
“We would urge people not to tolerate a drug dealer living in their community and there are many ways that they can provide us with that information, including anonymously, if they are concerned about ending up as a witness. There sometimes seems to be a fear that they do not want to be identified by the people causing problems in their communities, but if there is information coming in from lots of sources we can act on it and it is more power to our efforts to tackle these issues.”
The task force team of one sergeant and six constables works as a unit under the direction of local police managers and has already targeted Dundee, Perth, Blairgowrie, Arbroath and Montrose.
It was redeployed in Angus in September to focus on Forfar and Kirriemuir, as well as revisiting Arbroath, Montrose and Brechin.