Top cop thanks Falkirk residents who helped get drugs off local streets

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Falkirk's top cop has thanked the community for information that has helped get drugs - including 84,000 benzodiazepine tablets - off local streets.Falkirk Area Commander, Chief Inspector Alex Hatrick, said that community intelligence had resulted in 45 misuse of drugs warrants being executed across the Falkirk area in the past year, with 32 finding drugs or evidence of drug possession, production or supply.

Reporting to Falkirk Council' s Scrutiny Committee, CI Hatrick said: "Information supplied by the community is key to our fight against drugs. Read more: Cost of living crisis sees reports of shoplifting in Falkirk soar by 32 per cent "We have an intelligence-led approach to tackling drug dealers and I am grateful for the intelligence that members of the public provide."I would encourage them to continue to provide intelligence to the police and through Crimestoppers anonymously."The report to councillors highlighted the work of Grangemouth community officers whose efforts helped to recover 84,000 benzodiazepine tablets from one address alone after receiving intelligence from the community.The chief inspector said he was pleased to see the tablets removed from circulation as benzodiazepines - street valium - were implicated in 58 per cent of drugs deaths in Scotland 2023.The report also highlighted how concerns were raised by the public about the strong smell of cannabis from around the Carron Works area in February.Community officers worked with CID to discover a cannabis farm, seizing 1813 plants and over 60kg of loose cannabis leaf, all with an approximate value of around £4.5 million.CI Hatrick said the operation was "a great result for the community and police working together".Community concerns about the