News / Communities encouraged to speak up about drugs
THE POLICE are encouraging more members of the public to come forward with any concerns or suspicions they may have about drug activity in the community.
The call was made as police officers, Dogs Against Drugs and local haulage companies came together on Thursday to present a united front against the drugs trade in Shetland.
It came just days after police recovered heroin with a street value of around £13,000 in Lerwick.
Detective constable Dayne McDonald said “nobody knows what is happening on the streets better than the local community” and encouraged locals to report any concerns.
“Tackling illegal drugs is a key priority for us, set by the community of Shetland who have made it very clear they will not tolerate this harmful trade,” he said.
“Those intent on bringing drugs to our islands target the most vulnerable people in our communities and cause great harm through their actions.
“We have worked very effectively with Dogs Against Drugs and we look forward to continuing that partnership to cause further disruption to drug dealing in Shetland.
“We are also looking to increase public awareness of drug abuse in Shetland and appeal for the public to report all concerns or suspicions they have in relation to drug activity in Shetland.”
McDonald described the community as “our eyes and ears – we cannot act without the intelligence the public provide”.
“This is not a case of the public doing the police’s job,” he added.
“This is a case of the police having the information available to targeting the areas the public have issues with.
“Nobody knows what is happening on the streets better than the local community. If you pass on your concerns we can work with Dogs Against Drugs and other partners to do something about it.”
Dogs Against Drugs project manager Michael Coutts added: “We have had a successful partnership for the last 16 years with these agencies and we are grateful for their continued support and commitment.”
Anyone with information about drugs can pass on details to Police Scotland directly on 101, or they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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