Published: Tuesday, 7th October, 2008 12:30
High Street needs more beat cops
By Mike Farrell
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Business chiefs meet town's top policeman
MEET: Inspector Ian Wallace
MORE officers on the beat is what is needed to reduce crime in Dumbarton town centre, it has been claimed this week.
Although there are now two bobbies patrolling the High Street area, business leaders have questioned if that is enough.
It is believed there is a gang of around 20 yobs causing much of the recurring crime in the area.
A meeting between business chiefs, the council and the area’s top cop, Inspector Ian Wallace, took place on Friday.
John Corcoran, chair of Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is an age-old problem, and is something that we all need to work together on to address.
“I have always been of the view that we need more police on the streets, because it seems to be the only way to come down on the yobs and the neds who find their way into the town and often cause mayhem.
“The chamber will definitely continue to work with the police and other partners to deal with this, because it could really hit Dumbarton hard, especially in the current economic climate where less people are going there.”
Robert Ryan, chairman of Business for Dumbarton, also attended the meeting at Dumbarton police office.
He and other traders are concerned over the amount of anti social incidents occurring in the town centre.
He feels a tough approach is what is needed.
He told the Reporter: “Recently, the situation with anti social behaviour in the area has deteriorated, and that’s something we are definitely concerned about.
“It seems that we were all in agreement that the current levels of nuisance behaviour from a hard core of twenty or so individuals is unacceptable.
“We were reassured by Inspector Wallace that he is committed to tackling the problem, which is a very regular thing in the area at the moment.”
Groups drinking and hanging around the Quay at the back of Dumbarton High Street have been highlighted as possible sources of the recurring anti social behaviour.
In recent months, a second police officer has been put on the High Street beat during business hours.
This was in part due to a particularly nasty spate of violent crime last month which involved a man’s leg being broken, another man being stabbed and a mass fight erupting in the middle of the street over the course of just three days.
But, this was an unusual occurrence, according to police.
Sergeant Kurt Anderson, of Dumbarton police office, said: “We have researched the High Street and it seems the biggest concerns are over general anti social behaviour and shoplifting.
“We will work with businesses and the community, using a whole raft of measures, to help tackle this.
“In recent months two police officers have been deployed on the High Street during business hours, and we are also looking at action plans to target certain problem areas.”
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