This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Fourfold increase in calls to drugs hotline
14/04/2005
The number of actionable drugs calls to Crimestoppers
more than quadrupled during the Dealers Don't Care, Do You?
campaign, the Parliament heard today.
Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry praised the public's
'excellent' response to the six week campaign, which has
already yielded 77 arrests and led to the seizure of more
than £100,000 of drugs.
Crimestoppers 0800 555111
The Minister also announced that to date, Crimestoppers
has received almost 1,000 responses to the direct mail part
of the campaign - information which is now being
assessed.
Mr Henry said:
"During the campaign there was a 452 per cent increase
in the normal volume of actionable drugs-related calls to
Crimestoppers. These 3,339 calls demonstrate not only the
public's concern about drugs dealers, but also their desire
to put a stop to their immoral trade and get them off
Scotland's streets.
"It takes courage to stand up to drug dealers and this
anonymous hotline provides one way of enabling people to do
so. I'm encouraged by the excellent public response to
it.
"The Executive will be continuing our war against drug
dealers and their wares. While the advertising element of
this campaign is now formally complete, I would urge the
public to continue calling Crimestoppers about any concerns
they have about drug dealing activity in their area.
"Drugs devastate communities and they devastate lives.
Our message to the dealers who peddle them is that crime
does not pay and that they cannot continue to make profits
out of others' misery."
Detective Chief Superintendent Stephen Ward of the
Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency commented:
"The SDEA, Scottish Police Service and Crimestoppers
will continue to work together to protect people and their
communities from the scourge of drug dealers. The ongoing
success of this campaign proves that the public understand
they can use Crimestoppers 0800 555111, to fight back
without fear of being traced.
"I am pleased the direct mail campaign is proving to be
so successful - using direct mail is a first for
Crimestoppers and almost 1000 people have used it in the
last three weeks to pass on vital information on drug
dealers by post.
"The Police and the SDEA are acting right now on the
information already received. This campaign is already
making a difference to communities and it will continue to
play a vital role in police surveillance activity."
The Dealers Don't Care, Do You? campaign was launched by
the First Minister on Tuesday 15 February and ran until
Thursday March 31.
It aimed to encourage people to provide anonymous
information on drug dealers and drug dealing activity in
their area to Crimestoppers Scotland which was then passed
on to the relevant force to take appropriate action.
The 452 per cent increase relates to 3,339 actionable
calls on drugs during the campaign.
The direct mail element of the campaign began on Tuesday
March 29 and targeted around 220,000 homes in 15 areas,
including parts of Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Fife and
Edinburgh hardest hit by drugs.
The campaign, which cost £1.062 million, was funded
entirely through assets seized from criminals under the
Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
In future years, such funding will be used to help
regenerate and improve areas hardest hit by drugs. Further
details on this will be announced later this year.