Chief Superintendent Robert Shepherd reveals expansion of team targeting County Lines gangs in bid to create a ‘hostile’ environment

Highland’s top cop has revealed the force has expanded the team dedicated to tackling County Lines gangs from Birmingham, Derby, Liverpool and London to create as “hostile” an environment as possible for organised crime.

Chief Superintendent Robert Shepherd’s Police Performance report is due to be delivered at Highland Council this week and highlighted the efforts made to control so-called OCGs (organised crime groups).

Police action in the north has led to “a marked reduction in County Lines related violence” after the north division “was badly affected” in the run-up to last Christmas.

His report portrays a force that is still responding effectively to some of the most serious offences - like organised crime and murder - but shoplifting has surged by 77 per cent since last year.

Despite positive news, some of it makes for grim reading as the severe pressure on the force led Ch Supt Shepherd to say earlier “more demand, less resource - something has to give” - that is made worse by the “unacceptable level” of assaults on officers.

With “some of the highest rates of assaults against officers per head within Police Scotland” officers will soon get Body Worn Cameras with the roll-out to happen “over the next 12-18 months”.

Following the spike in violence which was believed to be “an internal power struggle between drug dealers” that put pressure on the force, effective operations against County Lines drugs gangs were put in place.

County Lines is the practice of city gangs flooding other areas with drugs, establishing local bases often “bringing with it serious criminal behaviour such as violence, exploitation and abuse”.

Ch Supt Shepherd said: “North Division has also recently expanded its team of dedicated officers with the sole purpose of targeting County Lines offenders, working in partnership with agencies and protecting vulnerable persons.”

Drug supply offences rose in the year-to-date figures by 49 going from 126 in 2022/23 to 176 in 2023/24 but the detection rate remained high at just over 80 per cent.

In the last 12 months, 1.1kg of heroin valued at just under £63,000 was seized, 2.1kg of cocaine valued at just over £212,000 and £108,276 of cash linked to County Lines groups was also seized.

Detective Chief Inspector Craig Still said: “In the months leading up to Christmas 2023, the Division was badly affected by instances of violence and antisocial behaviour linked to the presence of County Lines groups.

“Our approach was realigned towards short-term, high-visibility enforcement, coupled with information sharing with nationwide partners. We also implemented a long-term approach to prevention and intervention with a view to making the Division as hostile an environment as possible for these groups to operate in.

“Our activities have seen a marked reduction in County Lines-related violence and activity, however we remain vigilant and continue to work towards deterring these groups from establishing a base in the Highlands.”

The detection rate for sexual crime stands at 52.8 per cent and the picture is mixed as Ch Supt Shepherd said: “There has been an increase in sexual crime against the five-year average with a reduction year-on-year.”

That means that compared to the last half-decade with the average standing at 606.2 there have been more recorded sexual crimes in the last 12 months (667) despite there been a decline compared to last year when the number stood at 744.

Hate crime is also rising with recorded offences going up by 27.4 per cent - the equivalent to almost 30 more crimes - against the five-year average and increased by 13.9 per cent (15 more crimes) against the year to date.

Detective Chief Inspector Ross Hamill stated: “Addressing and tackling abuse in all its forms is an absolute priority of policing across Highland. Protecting vulnerable people is at the core of this.”

The most deadly aspect of policing the north involves driving offences with Inspector Donald MacKinnon of the Road Policing Unit explaining: “For the reporting period, there were 16 road deaths across Highland, four of which occurred on the A9. There were four motorcycle fatalities, three of whom were visitors to the Highlands. One foreign driver was involved in a fatal collision on the A82.

“Whilst these figures represent a significant reduction in road deaths, we acknowledge that road users are still being seriously injured and killed on our road network and we continue to strive to deliver a road safety message through robust enforcement activity alongside our preventative work”.

Of all offences, shoplifting saw the largest rise going from 839 recorded last year to 1492 - that is 653 more offences equating to a rise of 77 per cent - while the detection rate was 61.5 per cent.

Detective Chief Inspector Craig Still stated: “Theft by shoplifting remains an issue within the Division with several businesses being repeat victims of theft.

“Shoplifting can range from opportunist individuals to organised groups stealing high-value [property]. We take assertive action against nominals perpetrating this type of crime and seek the support of our partners in Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to impose bail conditions which can then be robustly policed.”