A hard-line approach to the drugs trade is winning the vital confidence of residents, the area commander for Angus believes.
After a series of high-profile raids in towns, which have already seen key figures in the area’s supply chain sent to jail for lengthy terms, Chief Inspector Gordon Milne hopes the momentum will continue to gather pace as residents come forward with crucial intelligence about drug-related activities in their communities.
He admits it remains a constant battle to keep pressure on dealers who may look to step in and fill the void created when another figure is taken off the streets, but he has praised the part Angus residents have already played in the fight.
“There is a build-up of confidence that we are now seeing on the back of the high-profile operations which have been conducted since last year and I hope that continues,” Mr Milne said.
“People are seeing us go in to properties in their towns and streets, they are learning that drugs have been seized and then, through reports in the press, they are seeing that these people are being put away.
“We are benefiting from information that was never coming to us before but it is coming to us now.”
Allied to the intelligence gathering work of his officers in Angus, Mr Milne said the information build-up is helping create a potent armoury in the assault on drugs, particularly the heroin which destroys lives and wreaks havoc in local communities.
The Chief Inspector’s belief is that as residents see tip-offs translated into action against users and dealers, then they will be more likely to lift the phone and report drugs crime.
At the same time, Mr Milne said a pioneering programme is showing signs of success in turning addicts away from chaotic lives.
“We have been running the TISS (Tayside Intensive Support Service) scheme in Arbroath since last November with a small team dedicated to it and they are now seeing positive results,” he added.
Although it involves relatively small numbers of offenders, the scheme can have a significant impact on the amount of low-level crime being carried out but users desperate to fund their habit.
“I think a lot of the users are realising that there maybe is an alternative to getting up, going shoplifting, getting the drugs and then doing it all over again,” added the Chief Inspector.
“It is a long, long process, but they may be seeing a different way of living.”
He added: “TISS is also just another part of the wider picture along with the likes of the work being carried out by the Reverend Martin Fair and the Havela project in Arbroath.
“What we are striving to do is put services together that are designed for the people that need them, and not for the people that are providing them.
“All of these elements play an important part, but I would stress again the importance of us getting the information from the public about drug-related activities going on locally.
“We’re grateful for the information we have already received and hopefully people have seen that we have acted on it, and we would be very happy if they would continue to give us that information.”
Anyone with information should Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.