Criminals to face force of crackdown

Oct 1 2009 by Marjorie Kerr, West Lothian Courier

COPS are launching a renewed assault on criminal gangs in West Lothian.

The move follows the announcement of Lothian and Borders Police’s crackdown on Serious Organised Crime networks.

It is the first Scottish force to implement its own strategy in response to the findings of the Scottish Government’s Serious Organised Crime Taskforce.

And West Lothian officers are working alongside experts from other groups, such as Trading Standards, to tackle problems caused by crooks in the county.

Livingston-based Detective Chief Inspector Alan Crawford said his officers have already made serious inroads into dealing with the problem.

He said: “In West Lothian, we had 10 crime groups operating at one time. However, that number has been cut due to the success of Operation Focus.

“The groups we are talking about are involved in such things as drug dealing, fraud and counterfeit goods.

“People sometimes think that doing something like buying a fake DVD is harmless, but the fact is that there is always a victim there.

“We have identified specific groups in West Lothian and will be targeting them through partnership working with other agencies.”

However, DCI Crawford said it’s vital that local people play their part in helping fight crime on their own doorstep. He said: “We are out on the streets 24/7 but we can’t be everywhere at once and rely on the public to be our eyes and ears.

“If people see someone behaving strangely or in a way that arouses suspicion, we would ask them to let us know about it.”

Speaking at the launch of Lothian and Borders’ crackdown, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill added: "I welcome the strategy being launched today which highlights the importance of getting everyone involved in the battle against serious organised crime.

“These gangsters, through their illegal activities including drug dealing, fraud and other despicable crimes, cause untold damage to our communities.

“We are committed to protecting hardworking Scots in legitimate businesses from being undermined by the proceeds of criminal gangs.

“We all need to stand together and work together to put these criminals on notice that we are determined to take them out and take them down.”