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Net closing in on local drug abusers
DRUG abusers in Brechin have been sent a stark warning after local police identified 47 people in connection with narcotics offences during the last financial year.
Of those 47 crimes, 14 of those detected were concerned in the unlawful supply of controlled drugs, while five were found in possession with intent to supply. A further 28 were caught in possession of drugs.
The new figures have been revealed after the Brechiner submitted a Freedom of Information request to Tayside Police.
In total, 54 people contacted the police between April 1, 2009 and March 31 2010, although it is possible more than one call related to the same incident.
Cannabis, cocaine and heroin were involved in all three of the crime types recorded, while at least one person caught in possession of drugs was found with pharmaceutical drugs without good reason.
A further five crimes were recorded in the town with a drugs aggravator, with four persons identified as the culprit. No drug type was recorded in relation to these incidents.
The total number of drug specific crimes recorded in Brechin represent around 8.2% of those recorded throughout Angus. Tayside Police's Eastern Division recorded 570 crimes during the same period, with an accused identified in all but two of the crimes. Of those, 427 were possession, 34 possession with intent to supply and 83 concerned in the unlawful supply of controlled drugs. Some 18 people were involved in the supply or offer to supply a controlled drug and six concerned with the production, manufacture or cultivation of drugs. Two crimes related to other drug offences.
The figures do not show how many convictions were made as a result of the charges brought.
Local police inspector, Gordon Cryle, believes the figures show that, while work still has to be done, Brechin has no greater or worse a drug problem than anywhere else in Angus.
He said: "These figures show that Brechin represents about 8.2% of drug crime in Angus. It looks like there's no more or less a problem than in other towns. I suspect that if you were to look at the other towns in the area you'd get a similar number of offences per head of population.
"There is also a perception that drug offences have a knock on effect and create an increase in acquisitive crime, for example people shoplifting and stealing to 'fund' their drug habit, yet we're actually seeing these crime figures reducing.
"While we are in no doubt that there is a problem with that, it's not as much of a problem as we would have thought. It may be that people are holding down jobs and there is a degree of recreational use. Some of the drugs listed here are more recreational than others.
"A number of people were also charged with possession with intent to supply, but just because someone is charged with that doesn't mean they will end up with a conviction. It may be that when it comes to court it's heard purely as possession."
The use of heroin in the area is a particular concern, he added.
Inspector Cryle said the figures also demonstrated that any intelligence passed to the police was acted on.
He said: "A lot of our work that we de around drugs is intelligence led and we would encourage people who are concerned about drugs or have any information on its use or supply get in touch and let us know.
"What we're not doing is burying our heads in the sand or being complacent. Where we get information or intelligence that someone might be supplying drugs or in possession, we act. We will obtain warrants to search houses and we will make use of stop and search powers."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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