Crimestoppers is urging the public of the Highlands and Islands to call them with information which could help Police in their efforts to reduce the supply of illegal drugs in the region.

Northern Constabulary has enjoyed a successful year and has taken hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of drugs off the streets.

Both Crimestoppers and Police say they must not be complacent and have vowed to continue to target those involved in the drugs trade and any other form of serious and organised crime.

Crimestoppers’ National Training and Development Manager, Iain Froggett visited Northern Constabulary HQ last week to speak to Police and partner agencies about the work of the crime fighting charity and underline the independent charity’s commitment to helping Police tackle the drugs menace.

Mr Froggett was invited by Crimestoppers Highland chairman Jim Ferguson, who organised event.

Jim Ferguson Highlands and Islands regional chairman said: “I was delighted to have Ian Froggett attend today’s meeting which clearly shows the high level of support from Crimestoppers nationally for the Highlands and Islands region.

“The region has shown a 6% increase in the number of calls received over last year and a 40% rise in the number of arrests all due to information received from Crimestoppers which is highly encouraging.

“Crimestoppers is effective in the fight against crime and we are all striving hard to tackle the problems that affect our communities. Our board has been very active, regularly attending community council meetings and giving presentations to interested groups.”

He added: “We appreciate the dedication of Northern Constabulary and their support of Crimestoppers in our combined efforts to make our communities safer.

“Crimestoppers offer a completely anonymous way of passing information to law enforcement and clearly the Highlands is increasingly using the service which we provide to good effect.”

Mr Froggett said: “It is great to visit the low crime areas encompassed by the Highlands of Scotland, but to keep it that way, we need people to be vigilant. If they feel they cannot report information about criminal activity to the police for fear of being identified or because they are too close to an offender, then Crimestoppers offers the ideal means.

“We promise total anonymity to all callers whether they use:
Telephone: 0800 555 111 or choose to report online from our website www.crimestoppersscotland-uk.org/

Even the smallest piece of information we receive will be passed to the police and it may be the key to supporting a successful investigation.”

He added: “Offenders are the people who should fear the consequences of crime and by working closely with communities at large, with Crimestoppers volunteers and the police, we can help reduce the availability of controlled drugs and help in the prosecution of those who supply them.”

Deputy Chief Constable Garry Sutherland said: “We are grateful for the continued support we receive from Crimestoppers.

“Some members of the public may feel they cannot contact Police with information, for whatever reason, and in those circumstances Crimestoppers can provide an alternative solution.

“The Crimestoppers service offers people crucial reassurance that the information they are providing is being treated completely anonymously.

“Historically, information provided through Crimestoppers has played a part in the solving of a number of crimes in the Northern Constabulary area and we look forward to further developing that partnership, to ensure the Highlands and Islands remain among the safest places in the UK to live, work and invest.”

Ends

Tweet this!

Det. Sgt. Joe McLaughlin of Strathclyde Police has said: “Thanks to a tip off made to Crimestoppers, we have been able to disrupt and dismantle another large scale cannabis cultivation. The discovery of this cultivation proves that by working together we can be successful in tackling this issue and making a major impact on the criminal fraternities setting up these sites.

He added: “It’s encouraging that local people know what to look out for and are proactive in reporting their suspicions. It may be that there are other cultivations in the surrounding area and I would urge people to be aware of the signs and report any suspicious activity.”

Since 2006, police have seized around 80,000 cannabis plants with an approximate street value of £24.7 million.

Despite these significant seizures, the problem of cannabis cultivations is increasing and the harms associated with it continue to present a major risk to Scotland’s communities.

Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in Scotland and the health impact on users is significant. The methods used to maintain cannabis farms are a fire hazard to the premises they are contained within and surrounding properties. In addition, profit from the supply of cannabis is used to fund other forms of serious organised crime, including human trafficking and counterfeit goods.

Led by Strathclyde Police, Scotland’s eight police forces, with the support of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA), the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the UK Borders Agency, have formed a national taskforce to detect and dismantle cannabis cultivations, arrest the criminal networks involved and seize their illegal profits.

Local people have a crucial role to play in helping to beat this criminal activity. If you notice anything suspicious,

contact Crimestoppers anonymously
with information on 0800 555 111.

The signs to look out for are:

• Windows of the property are permanently covered from the inside
• Visits to the premises occur at unusual times of the day or night
• People do not live in the premises and only make shorts visits, daily or weekly, to maintain them
• The cannabis or by-products, such as used fertiliser, will be removed in black bin bags or laundry bags
• Compost bags or gardening equipment may be left outside, usually in the rear of the premises
• There may be a vent protruding through the roof of a rear window
• There may be a pungent smell emanating from the premises
• There may be noise coming from equipment (e.g. cooling fans) in the premises

Tweet this!

Crime is down 12% for the period April to December 2009 against the same period in 2008. This equates to 1522 fewer victims. Crime rates have actually fallen by 20% over the past 2 years. At the same time overall detection rates remain high at over 61% for classes 1 to 5 and over 84% across all classes of crime.

Northern Constabulary continues to demonstrate its commitment to reducing crime and contributing to safer communities across the Highlands and islands.

Numerous examples of successes include the following:

A number of significant drug seizures and convictions in Shetland including a 4-year sentence of a man with 120,000 of drugs including heroin.

The arrests and prosecution of 5 cases of domestic abuse in Orkney.

Two officers are to be commended for resolving a firearms incident in Barra, Western Isles.

A new initiative involving a Community Response Team has been active in Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross to tackle vandalisms. The scheme has been favourably received by the public and 76 crimes of vandalism have been detected in Caithness.

There have been notable drug seizures in Ross & Cromarty, Lochaber, Skye and Lochalsh, including the recovery of 160,000 class A drugs on the A82 in November. A number of drink drivers were arrested throughout this area during a targetted campaign.

Considerable work continues across the region to address Domestic Abuse and Child Protection. A dedicated Domestic Abuse Liaison Officer has been appointed for the East Division area.

There have been notable seizures of drugs and successful prosecutions across the region including 2 men receiving 12 years each imprisonment at the High Court in Glasgow in December 2009 for supply of drugs.

A number of secondary schools across the region have taken part in “Driving Ambitions” which promotes safer driving.

Tweet this!

The campaign, which is led by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) and runs throughout Scotland saw a total of 29 drink drivers detected in the Northern Constabulary area during the four week campaign period, which is 19 fewer than last year.

In addition, this year saw the introduction of the Vehicle Forfeiture initiative, where those caught drink driving after a previous conviction of the same offence faced having their vehicle seized with the potential of being sold or destroyed. This initiative is set to continue out with the campaign. Northern Constabulary have seized two vehicles and their owners will find out their fate following court forfeiture hearings.

Northern Constabulary continued with the policy of detaining certain drink drivers until the next available court date, which saw sixteen people spend at least one night in custody.

Head of Road Policing, Inspector John Smith commented: “I am encouraged to see a reduction in those committing such offences on our roads and listening to our road safety messages that we heavily promote at this time of year.

“I would like to thank members of the public for their contribution to making our roads safer as we saw a number of people caught drink driving after being reported by concerned citizens, which included friends and family members.

“The Vehicle Forfeiture initiative, I feel, has played an important role by introducing an additional serious financial loss to individuals as well as facing the outcome of court proceedings, which could include loss of licence or imprisonment.

“Despite the numerous warnings a number of people chose to ignore the messages issued and put themselves and other members of the public at risk by drinking and driving.

“We will continue to target those committing these serious offences and encourage members of the public to continue to support us and report those they suspect may be drink or drug driving.”

ends

Tweet this!

With the advent of the Winter Festival and the anticipated increase in the number of visitors to the city centre, key strategic partners formed the Inverness City Partnership in March and include the Highland Council, Northern Constabulary, Inverness BID (Business Development District) and Safeinverness.

It was agreed they would formulate a plan to draw together support from a wide cross section of the community. This collaborative approach includes vital support from other organisations such as Crimestoppers, Scottish Licensed Trade Association, Inverness Bed and Breakfast Association, Highland Youth Forum, The Street Pastors and Inverness Crime Prevention Panel.

Representatives from Northern Constabulary, Inverness City Partnership and Safeinverness joined Inverness Provost Jimmy Gray for the launch of Operation Respect at the Victorian Market in the city centre this morning.

Inverness Area Commander, Chief Inspector Andrew MacLean, Chair of Safeinverness and Crimestoppers Highland chairman Jim Ferguson, Inverness City Manager, David Haas, Provost Jimmy Gray, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Inverness City Committee

Northern Constabulary, the lead agency in the Inverness Partnership, will be increasing patrols in the city centre over the coming weeks, ensuring a high visibility presence, particularly during peak shopping and socialising times.

Operation Respect has been hugely popular and indeed successful in other areas of the city already this year, having been run in the Hilton and Merkinch areas of the city in response to community concerns regarding anti-social behaviour.

Part of the scheme will include Inverness City Centre Partnership’s funding of the Nightrider bus service during peak times. The buses, which will service three main routes (Culloden, Smithton & Balloch; Hilton & Milton of Leys; Kinmylies & Dalneigh) and will ferry revellers home safely and out of the city centre.

The bus service will be available from 4 December and will run every weekend until the end of the year, including the busiest nights, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The service will run between 11.30pm until 4am. Bus time tables will be on display in pubs, clubs and on the buses themselves.

The popular Taxi Marshall scheme will also be in operation to ensure safety at taxi ranks at closing time, supported by the Street Pastors, Safeinverness and the Police.

The Retail Task Team will be working in the city centre throughout the festive period to deal with all retail related issues with support, where required, from Northern Constabulary officers.

Inverness Area Commander, Chief Inspector Andrew MacLean said: “Operation Respect has been very successful in other areas of the city in recent months and we aims to carry on that success in the city centre over the busy festive period.

“We want to ensure that shoppers and those who are out and about over the coming weeks can enjoy themselves without fear of crime and feel safe. We must make it clear that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated by Police and we will take a robust stance in relation to this type of crime.

“People want to enjoy the festivities and not be worried about becoming a victim of crime. We would also like to remind people that if they are out socialising to drink responsibly and take care of friends and family, ensuring they all get home safely. The Nightbus service is very welcome and will ensure people get out of the city centre and home safely.”

He added: “We will be providing a high visibility presence in the city centre over the coming weeks and we are grateful for the support from the agencies involved in Operation Respect.”

Chief Inspector MacLean also has a message for Christmas shoppers, reminding them to be vigilant when it comes to vehicle security.

He said: “Although we will have increased numbers of officers out there I would urge shoppers to take the necessary precautions, such as ensuring they don’t leave valuables in their vehicles in plain sight. This encourages opportunist thieves. Christmas is a very expensive time for everyone, especially in the current climate, and we would urge people to be vigilant.”

Provost Jimmy Gray, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Inverness City Committee said: “Operation Respect” aims to complement our efforts in organising the Inverness Winter Festival by working with our partners in the police, ambulance service, business and the community to ensure that our streets are safe for people to enjoy the activities we are providing and that they are kept clean and tidy.

“We are seeking a buy in from the public to at all times demonstrate good citizenship by not dropping litter and reporting any inappropriate behaviour to the authorities.”

Inverness City Manager, David Haas said: “At the heart of the activities of the Inverness Partnership is the need to focus on the need to combine efforts to produce outcomes which improve the daily lives of residents and visitors to the city.

“Operation Respect is about enhancing the already high standards and more than meeting the expectations of those experiencing our city centre.”

He added: “This partnership approach also acts to provide support to the city’s businesses at a time when they are feeling the full force of the economic downturn.”

Chair of Safeinverness and Crimestoppers Highland chairman Jim Ferguson, said: “Safe Inverness fully supports Operation Respect and we are delighted to be a partner in this worthwhile crime reducing and safety endeavour.

ends

Tweet this!

Operation Respect initiative was created to engender respect for each other and for other’s property all year round, but especially during this festive period.

With the advent of the Winter Festival and the anticipated increase in numbers of visitors to the City Centre the Council, Northern Constabulary and Inverness BID agreed to formulate a plan which would draw in support from a wide cross section of the Community. Partner organisations include:

Crimestoppers

Scottish Licensed Trade Association

Inverness Bed and Breakfast Association

Highland Youth Forum

The Street Pastors

Inverness Crime Prevention Panel

Operation Respect allows the Partners to link resources to enhance the amenity of the City Centre and provide (via the Nightrider Bus scheme – run with the help of Stagecoach) another option for a safe passage home for visitors to the City’s night time economy.

Street Pastors play a large part in the town centre providing an invaluable service every weekend and are on the streets until the wee hours, assisting those who may have problems.

Jim Ferguson Chairman of Crimestoppers Highlands and Islands, spent an evening with the Street Pastors just recently observing how the volunteers work and said:
“I was very impressed to see the Street Pastors in action as they went out to help those on the streets in many different ways. They were well received and their gentle approach seemed to calm certain situations down that may otherwise have ended in violence. Their outreach and care was inspiring and it was a pleasure to have been invited out to see how they operated.”

So what can we do to make sure we have fun and remain safe?

The Inverness Crime Prevention Panel have applied normal crime prevention advice to Christmas and this is common sense, but you might overlook it in your haste to get everything ready.

Out on the town

With office parties and general Christmas celebrations, pubs, restaurants and other venues are often crowded. Don’t leave bags over the back of your chair and keep wallets and purses close to your body to make it more difficult for the pickpocket. Busy places make it easier for the sneak thief, so be alert at all times.
Make prior arrangements as to how you will get home. Avoid any potential disturbances on the street. Stay with friends if you can. Make sure someone knows where you are going and what time you will be back.
Don’t drink too much – you could become a target for thieves.
Take precautions against Drink spiking – Keep your glass with you, never leaving it unattended and keep it covered.

Nightrider Bus Service

For the second year Operation Respect will be providing a FREE Nightrider bus service for home travel after midnight, enabling you to come into the city for an evening out without taking a car.
Please do not drink and drive – to do so risks your own life and others and incurs heavy penalties, possibly prison and financially.

The late night buses will be running during the festive season free of charge. The service will run between 11.30pm until 4am.
Bus time tables will be on display in Pubs, Clubs and on the Buses themselves.
Please make good use of this service.

Shopping

Criminals take the opportunities afforded them by the extra shopping we do. They prey on the opportunity created by the hustle and bustle of town centres as we rush around and try to take advantage of the value of the goods we buy as presents and store in our homes until the big day.
We might also be more trusting and generous at Christmas when requests for charity are made, giving the unscrupulous a chance to collect for their own causes.
When the shops are crowded, the pickpocket has more chance to steal from you. If you can’t arrange to shop during less busy times, make sure you stay alert and be extra careful with your wallet or purse. If you have too many bags you will be too busy trying to hold on to these to be aware of anyone stealing from you.
You could try to make smaller shopping trips rather than do it all at once and carry too much. Have your purse/wallet close to your body and don’t carry too much cash. The same applies to travelling on crowded buses or trains. If you travel by car, make sure you park in a well-lit area, lock all doors and windows and do not leave presents in view.
Try not to return to your car to leave purchases in the boot before continuing with your shopping trip as thieves may well watch car parks for just such a chance. Arrange to collect heavy items from stores when you have finished all your shopping. Keep your chequebook and cheque card separately.

Blue Light Discos are Proving to be Major Attraction

These popular events have been a great success with the next being on 20^th December. This next disco will be a special night called a Silent Disco and held at the Ironworks when the party revellers will have the unique experience of have music transmitted wirelessly to headphones.

The evenings have been generously supported by Next, Tesco and Mcdonalds with generous Raffle Prizes.

Liz Gilchrist, Vice Chair of Inverness Crime Prevention added:
“I was really pleased at the support received from the four national companies who have businesses based in Inverness, particularly Tesco who have been proactive supporting this type of partnership initiative throughout the country and encouraging safer neighbourhoods”.

Jim Ferguson Chair of Crimestoppers Highlands and Islands also thanked the companies for their generous support and said:
“I hope the Disco’s go from strength to strength as it is the type of event which is to be encouraged, proving that a fun evening could be had without alcohol”.

Steven Kerr of Inverness Business Improvement District and newly appointed Chairman of the Blue Light Steering Group said:
“I was delighted with the success of our events and we are working to encourage even more young people to attend future Blue Light Discos. Steven went on to say that visits would be made to all the Senior Schools in the area to promote future events to the 13 -16 year age groups.

Next event, Silent Disco: 20^th December, Ironworks at 7.00pm

Ticket Price: £4.00 or £3 (with a voucher from bebo/facebook)
Includes FREE Face Art and FREE Raffle Ticket.
If you purchase your entrance ticket in advance it will allow you free bus transport – Just show your ticket to the Driver.
BUY ONLINE:http://www.ironworksvenue.com or Contact 0871  789 4173

Left to right:
Steven Kerr – Chair of Blue Light. Pam Kennedy – Inverness BID.
Rhona Brindle – Community Champion – Tesco. Jim Ferguson – Chair of Inverness Crime Prevention Panel.

Crimestoppers in co-operation with Inverness Crime Prevention Panel, Police and Highland Council, wish everyone a very happy festive period.

Finally, anyone should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
if they have information about any criminal activity and wish to remain anonymous.
(Crimestoppers is a Registered Charity.)

Inverness Crime Prevention Panel website for further information: http://www.icpp.co.uk

Have Fun – Be Safe!

Tweet this!

Steven Kerr - Chair of Blue Light. Pam Kennedy – Business Improvement District. Rhona Brindle – Community Champion – Tesco. Jim Ferguson – Chair of Inverness Crime Prevention Panel

Unicorn Kid had been requested by fans who had been entertained at Belladrum earlier this year and was besieged by autograph seeking attendees at the end of the evening!
Most youngsters attending, left with either an autograph or a photo taken with him.

The evening had been supported by Next, Tesco and Mcdonald’s with generous Raffle Prizes.

Liz Gilchrist, Vice Chair of Inverness Crime Prevention added:
“I was really pleased at the support received from the four national companies who have businesses based in Inverness, particularly Tesco who have been proactive supporting this type of partnership initiative throughout the country and encouraging safer neighbourhoods”.

Jim Ferguson Chair of Crimestoppers Highlands and Islands also thanked the companies for their generous support and said:
“I hope the Disco’s go from strength to strength as it is the type of event which is to be encouraged, proving that a fun evening could be had without alcohol”.

Steven Kerr of Inverness Business Improvement District and newly appointed Chairman of the Blue Light Steering Group said:
“I was delighted with the success of the evening and we are working to encourage even more young people to attend future Blue Light Discos. Steven went on to say that visits would be made to all the Senior Schools in the area to promote future events to the 13 -16 year age groups, the next being on 27th November and a Silent Disco on 20th December.”
Both events are to be held in the Ironworks.

Blue Light is a partnership of several organisations working together including, BID(Business Improvement District in Inverness), Northern Constabulary, Safe Inverness,  Inverness Crime Prevention Panel, Highland Council,  Youth Inclusive, Street Pastors and Brook Advisory..

Tweet this!

After the success of the multi-agency Operation Respect in the town centre over the 2008 Christmas period, it was decided that the Operation Respect ‘model’ should be run in other areas that were experiencing problems with antisocial behaviour and violence.

The partners included elected councillors, Northern Constabulary, MP33, youth workers, street pastors and Merkinch Partnership.

Operation Respect began in the Merkinch beat on the 15^th May and ran until the 15^th August 2009. The intentions of this Operation were fivefold:

1 To maximise public safety looking for a sustainable solution to the needs of the community.

1 To meet the needs of the community in an intelligence led manner.

1 To heighten awareness to youths and their parents of the dangers of underage and binge drinking.

1 To reduce the quantities of alcohol available for consumption by youths and provide alternatives to youths congregating and behaving in an anti-social manner.

1 To increase the confidence of the local communities in the Police and their partner agencies in their ability to address these issues.

Key initiatives which helped make Operation Respect a success in the Merkinch was the Bike Shed drop in facility.

This venue which was opened and modernised was provided for youngsters to drop in and engage in various activities including art and craft and music. This helped develop these youngsters cultural and social awareness. Educational sessions on health and social welfare were also given to these youngsters.

Other activites took place such as street football which is a well developed diversionary activity for youths taking them away from an inclination to anti social behaviour.

The MP33 facility was also available for young people to participate in computer skills and other such like skills.

Another key part of the Operation was the provision of dedicated police foot patrols in the area.

The rest of this report looks at the effect the whole Operation has had in the area, comparing the period of the Operation in 2009 (15/05/09 – 15/08/09) in comparison with the same period in 2008, specifically during the period of increased and specifically targeted foot patrols by uniformed police officers.

Patrols

High visibility foot patrols were carried out by the Merkinch beat officers for the area between 1900 – 2300 hours on Friday and Saturday nights. In addition, plain clothes patrols were carried out by other officers.

The following table looks at the volume of incidents reported during the patrol period in comparison with the previous year.

The above tables highlight that Operation Respect has positively contributed to the decline of incidents reported between 15/05/09 – 15/08/09, compared to the same period in 2008.

Incident Types

The following table looks at the most prevalent incident types reported during the period of the patrols in comparison with the same time period in 2008, in order to assess whether the Operation has had an effect on the type of incidents reported.

It is evident that incidents involving Advisory Calls and Breach of the Peace have increased since the same period in 2008, although this increase is minor. Disturbance/Noise is continually one of the most commonly reported incidents in the Merkinch, and also throughout Inverness. However, Disturbance/Noise incidents reported appear to have taken a significant drop during the period, compared to the same time last year (a decrease of some 26 incidents).

The number of total crimes reported during this period (15/05/09 – 15/08/09) has also decreased as the following table highlights:

The top 5 reported crimes are illustrated in the table below and show a comparison with the figures for 2008.

The top 5 crimes have seen a large drop in the number reported during the period in 2009. Minor Assaults did not experience a major decrease in incidents reported, but a decrease nonetheless.

Hotspot Streets

The above table shows ‘hotspot’ streets during the period of the Operation, in comparison with the same period last year. Incidents reported have dropped in all of the above ‘hotspot’ streets during the period of the Operation. A reason for the decline in incidents reported on Anderson Street has also happened as a result of the street football initiative. Street football occurs on Anderson Street and is well attended by local children aged 6-13 years. Street Pastors have also had a good reception in the Merkinch area in general.

Displacement

While the number of incidents reported within the Merkinch area have declined over the period of the Operation there has been no displacement of crime or incidents to other parts of the city, in particular adjacent neighbourhoods.

The neighbouring beats saw the following changes in their incident numbers:

Dalneigh – 78 fewer incidents

Scorguie – 10 more incidents

City Centre – 46 fewer incidents

Longman – 11 fewer incidents

The only neighbouring beat which saw an increase in incidents was Scorguie. There is no single incident type that caused this increase, but rather an increase in a variety of incidents, none of which appear to be as a result of Operation Respect. There is no evidence to suggest that individuals from Merkinch are committing acts of antisocial behaviour in other areas.

Alcohol Seized

While there were a significant amount of calls relating to youths congregating and drinking within the Merkinch area, there were few seizures of alcohol from under age drinkers during the period 15/05/2009 – 15/08/2009. A review of incidents during the period under review highlighted that 9.4% of reported incidents concerned youths causing a disturbance. There are likely to be more incidents, as in some cases the culprits were unknown. Three seizures were recorded in both 2008 and 2009. One of the seizures in 2008 came as a result of a shop selling alcohol to an under age male. This shop has since lost its licence as a result of further incidents and is now closed. The action taken by the police and council regarding this shop has helped the issue.

One of the shops in Merkinch has agreed to stop selling Buckfast, and it is anticipated that this will have a positive effect in the area, as it is often consumed by under age drinkers. Furthermore, a test purchase operation was carried out at a shop in the Merkinch area during the operational period and the sale of alcohol was refused.

The number of incidents reported during the time of the patrols decreased on every day and time in 2009 in comparison with 2008, aside from Friday between 2200 and 2300 hours. There is no single explanation for this, with incidents reported during this period taking place at different locations within Merkinch.

Conclusion

1 The figures highlight that Operation Respect – Merkinch has had a positive effect on the number of incidents reported within the area

FOOTNOTE FOR EDITORS – Any of the elected councillors for the area are available for comment – Peter Corbett; Beth MacAllister; Janet MacRae, Donnie Kerr

Tweet this!

Police issued an appeal for information this week after the cat’s owner reported that someone had removed the hair and skin from her animal’s tail, which looks likely to result in amputation.

The incident took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning in the area of Millerton Avenue, Kinmylies. Police and Crimestoppers Highland are hoping that this new appeal, with the incentive of a reward, will encourage someone with information about this horrific act to come forward.

Crimestoppers Highland chairman, Jim Ferguson, said: “Such a dreadful act of cruelty is often indicative of someone who will go onto commit such appalling acts on people.

“I can assure members of the public that if anyone has information regarding who is responsible for this, we have facilities in place to ensure the money can be paid completely anonymously.

“We are not interested in the name of the person who may have information, we simply want the culprit caught.”

Chief-Inspector-Andrew-Maclean

Inverness Area Commander, Chief Inspector Andrew MacLean said: “We are pleased that Crimestoppers Highland has come forward and made this gesture in an attempt to garner new information in relation to this horrendous attack.

“Crimestoppers have clearly reacted to the level of public concern and anger in relation to this incident and hopefully the reward will encourage someone who knows something to come forward if they haven’t already done so.”

Police are continuing inquiries into this incident and anyone with information is urged to contact Police in Inverness on 01463 715555 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

ends

Tweet this!

NORTHERN Constabulary’s North Division, which includes Caithness, Sutherland, East Ross, Orkney and Shetland, has a new Divisional Commander. Newly promoted Superintendent Julian Innes takes over from Superintendent Ian Arnott who is now heading up the East Division.

Supt Innes, previously Chief Inspector and Area Commander for Northern Constabulary’s busiest beat, Inverness, joined Northern Constabulary in 1986 and was first stationed in Inverness. After four years he moved to the small one officer station of Boat of Garten, working and living in the community for two years, where he played an active role in running the youth club and primary school football team.

Julian then moved back to Headquarters, Inverness in the the role of HOLMES (Home Office Large Major Enquiry System) manager, working on many notable incidents, including the Orkney murder.

After a short spell in Portree as CID officer for the Syke and Lochalsh area, Julian was promoted in1998 to Detective Sergeant to the Scottish Crime Squad in Glasgow, where for the next four years he took part in proactive operations targeting the top ten percent of criminals in Scotland. He also became a surveillance instructor and taught at the Scottish Police College in Tuilliallan.

Julian returned from Glasgow in 2002, taking up the post of Detective Sergeant for the Caithness and Sutherland Command Area, before moving to Headquarters, Inverness in the role of Director of Intelligence, with responsibility for the Force Intelligence Bureau and Special Branch. During this period he led on the introduction of the Scottish Intelligence Database (SID). During his time at Headquarters, Julian also had roles with responsibility for Child Protection, Offender Management, HOLMES and the Scientific Support Unit and then staff office supporting the Chief Constable and other executive officers and performing the role of ACPOS Diversity Secretariat.

Julian was promoted to Chief Inspector Area Commander for Inverness in 2008 with responsibility for community and response policing across the city as well as the Divisional Traffic Wardens.

Promoted to Superintendent in June this year, Julian has moved to Wick on taking up the role of Divisional Commander for the North Division. He said:

“I am looking forward very much to working with my new team, getting to know the communities in the North of the Highlands and the North Isles and building on excellent policing work in this region. Having worked as a Detective Sergeant in Caithness and Sutherland during my career, I know the area and am aware of the local issues. The Highlands and Islands enjoy the reputation of being one of the safest places to live in the UK and this is a reputation I am keen to uphold. The area, however, is not without crime and I will be taking a proactive stance in targeting criminal activity which blights our communities.”

He went on to say: “Police cannot work in isolation and I aim to build on the good relationship that we have with members of the public and other agencies in our communities.”

Ends

Tweet this!