Drug seizures from Scotland’s streets as high as ever says Scottish Government

THE quantities of drugs being seized by Scotland’s eight Police Forces are as high as ever, reveals an announcement from the Scottish Government which details a ‘multi agency approach to cracking down on drug dealing’ in Scotland.

Drugs being taken off Scotland’s streets

Scotland’s most serious criminals are being identified and made to pay for the damage they are causing our communities, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said today. Mr MacAskill was speaking following the publication of new figures that show there were 27,319 drug seizures by Scottish police forces in 2010/11 – almost a quarter of which involved a class A drug. A multi-agency approach to cracking down on drug dealing is set out in the Serious Organised Crime Strategy, launched in 2010.

Mr MacAskill said: “Drug dealing is a serious and sophisticated criminal enterprise that damages our communities and hurts our country in terms of public safety, the economy, and jobs. Combating serious organised crime – including disrupting the supply of drugs in Scotland – and tackling organised crime groups is a top priority for the Scottish Government, police and law enforcement organisations, as set out in our Serious Organised Crime Strategy. These figures today show that police are taking a tough approach and hitting dealers where it hurts. I congratulate every officer involved in helping to get these drugs off our streets and encourage them to continue their good work in our communities. It underlines that there is no place for drug dealing in today’s society. From a drugs treatment perspective, this Government is working hard to tackle Scotland’s legacy of drugs misuse and we are firmly moving in the right direction. Our national drugs strategy, The Road to Recovery, has been reinforced with investing record funding for drug treatment – an increase of over 20 per cent since 2006/07 – to ensure help is there for people who want it. People are continuing to enter treatment, and are getting the help they need to support their recovery more quickly. However, it is vital we do all we can to stop drugs getting into our communities in the first place, and continue to come down hard on the dealers peddling them.”

Deputy Chief Constable Gordon Meldrum, Director General of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) and ACPOS lead on drugs, said: “Taking dealers and the drugs off the street remain important elements of our overall approach to tackling organised crime and protecting vulnerable people in our society. Drugs continue to have a devastating impact on the communities of Scotland and Scottish policing remains relentless in its fight against the drug dealers and the harm that they cause. Drug dealing continues to be the bread and butter business of serious organised crime groups and disrupting this global business is a top priority for us. In addition to the excellent work carried out by Scottish police at home, we are increasingly seizing high-purity drugs with law enforcement partners overseas before they reach Scotland’s streets.”

Drug Seizures in Scotland 2010/11

Drug seizures by Scottish Police Forces

Scotland’s Chief Statistician today published statistics on Drug Seizures by Scottish Police Forces, which give the number and quantity of drugs seized by the eight Scottish police forces in 2010-11.

The key findings of the statistics are:
There were 27,319 drug seizures by Scottish police forces in 2010-11.
There were 3,484 seizures of heroin, seizing 95.6 kg .
There were 2,086 seizures of cocaine, seizing 145.2 kg .
There were 10,046 seizures of cannabis resin, seizing 1,068.4 kg.
There were 6,777 seizures of herbal cannabis, seizing 867.2 kg.

Official statistics are produced by professionally ‘independent’ statistical staff.

The statistics in this release are based upon returns made by Scottish police forces to the Scottish Government.

This publication does not contain information from HM Revenue and Customs, British Transport Police and seizures outwith Scotland as a result of Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) operational activity. SCDEA seizures in Scotland are included in the Police Force data. It is not possible to distinguish which seizures had SCDEA involvement.

Scottish Government ‘slam door’ on 'crooked security firms' in social housing construction contracts, 'crooked others' still welcome

‘Crooked’ security firms will be banned from any contracts in social housing construction across Scotland, claim the Scottish Government in the form of a salvo of quotes from the Justice Secretary, Housing Minister & SCDEA Chief.

The success of the Scottish Government’s ban will doubtless depend on a flawless implementation of the new rules where contracts to guard building sites will only be awarded to firms which are members of the UK Security Industry Authority approved contractors' scheme.

However, other sorts of crooked professionals getting involved in the social housing sector .. that’s a whole different matter … (Crooked lawyers good to go again ? Even I know one who deals with a Housing Association ! – Ed)

Door slammed on crooked security firms

20/01/2011

Cowboy security firms will be banned from any contracts in social housing construction across Scotland, Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil revealed today.

Contracts to guard building sites will only be awarded to firms which are members of the UK Security Industry Authority approved contractors' scheme.

Police forces and law enforcement agencies across Scotland have teamed up to target unscrupulous security firms involved in the construction sector.

The new rules extend to housing associations and other affordable housing grant recipients the same checks that already apply to Scottish Government departments.

This year, the social housing construction sector is backed by £502 million from the Scottish Government.

Alex Neil said: "We are slamming the door on rogue security firms. We want them off our building sites and off our streets.

"Police tell us that some firms providing 'security' are no more than fronts for organised crime. They use cash from these contracts to bankroll their trails of misery of drug dealing and violence.

"They should have no hiding place in Scotland - least of all siphoning from budgets which help the most vulnerable people who need social housing. More often than not, they are the main victims of these criminals."

Justice Secretary Kenny McAskill said: "Each and every one of us can play a part in the fight against series and organised crime. For those of us in Government, that means ensuring that the contracts we award go only to bone fide companies.

"These positive measures will ensure that taxpayers' cash does not end up in the grubby paws of crooks. Working in partnership with the SIA is part of a wider drive by police forces in Scotland to target organised criminals wherever they operate."

Gordon Meldrum, Director General of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency said: "Serious organised criminals are opportunists who care only about profit and power. We know that they will look to infiltrate every area of our society to further those aims and they don't care about the trail of broken lives and communities they leave in their wake.

"But we are alive to what they are up to and working together we are getting better at closing down opportunities. This new initiative will help make the social housing sector a tougher nut to crack, and that will disrupt their plans. Good news for tenants and social landlords, and good news for Scotland."

Security Industry Authority Chief Executive Bill Butler said: "The SIA welcomes the Minister's announcement and the recognition of the value the Approved Contractor Scheme brings.

"Joint working initiatives with government, the police and other Scottish stakeholders have provided us with opportunities to help to pursue and disrupt the small pockets of criminals who seek to exploit their position and give the security industry a bad name."

Law & Order : Police to keep share of seized loot from criminal gangs

With all the money being seized from criminals across the country, it has been decided that Police forces will be allowed to keep ‘a share’ of the seized money under proposals soon to be revealed by Government. (Hope there’s some oversight on all those millions flowing between gangs – Ed)

The Scotsman reports :

Crime does pay as police get to keep money seized from gangs

Published Date: 22 April 2009
By Michael Howie
Home affairs correspondent

POLICE will be allowed to keep a share of the money seized from organised crime gangs under a scheme set to be unveiled within weeks.

The Scotsman has learned that forces will be given a major cash incentive to seize more money and assets from drug dealers and other crime barons.

The move has already been given the green light from justice secretary Kenny Mac-Askill and final discussions are taking place with an announcement unveiling the scheme expected within weeks.

Chief constables in Scotland have been pressing the Scottish Government to introduce the "incentivisation" scheme, which officers say will allow them to plough money back into the fight against organised crime.

In England and Wales, about 20 per cent of seized cash is ploughed back into police budgets. For example, the Metropolitan Police were allowed to keep £4 million in 2007-8 under the Home Office's Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme.

But since the introduction of the Proceeds of Crime Act in Scotland in 2003, more than £25 million has gone straight to Holyrood.

Mr MacAskill yesterday told The Scotsman he was "committed to the principle" of a similar incentivisation scheme for police in Scotland.

"I have confirmed that to Acpos (the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland). It is just the detail that has to be worked out.

"Officials are working with police representatives to discuss that."

The main issues to be ironed out are the percentage of money and assets seized that will be handed to the police and the rules governing which authority will be entitled to what.

"If a car in transit is stopped by the SCDEA (Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency) in Dumfries and Galloway, but the drugs are destined for Glasgow, we have to decide who should be allowed to keep the money – the SCDEA, Dumfries and Galloway or Strathclyde," added Mr MacAskill.

He said it would be up to police how they spend the money.

"In the world in which we live, we don't simply want to arrest the drug dealer. We want to get the Rolex watches, the BMW with darkened windows. We want to encourage the police to strip the dealers of all their assets," added Mr MacAskill.

Gordon Meldrum, director general of the SCDEA, said he was "all for" police being allowed to reinvest a share of the proceeds of crime.

"It will allow us to pump-prime the process. We will have the money to invest in the financial investigators and other experts we need to pursue the people behind organised crime. That will enable us to seize more assets and bring in more money."

He said police should be seeking to seize the assets of neighbourhood drug dealers "with the same aggression that the agency goes after criminals".

Senior officers will be keen to ensure the extra revenue raised from the scheme will not be used simply to soften the blow of feared budget cuts in future years, as public spending tightens during the recession.

Since the SNP was elected two years ago, proceeds from crime totalling several million pounds have been used to fund an array of youth projects covering sport, arts and culture under the Scottish Government's CashBack for Communities scheme.

RULED OUT

KENNY MacAskill yesterday confirmed the Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a single national police force.

The justice secretary made the statement during an address at the conference in Peebles of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents the country's 16,000 rank-and-file officers.

Mr MacAskill told officers there would be no changes to the current eight force structure in Scotland.

He said: "Let me take this opportunity to make it clear that our vision for the future does not involve a single police force."

SPF chairman Norrie Flowers told the conference performance reports suggested no failures in the current system. Their comments follow a recent call for a single police force from Paddy Tomkins, who retired as chief inspector of constabulary last week.