Fireworks crackdown success exposes link to organised crime - Sue Webber
I’m sure most Police Scotland officers were dismayed the force did not immediately dismiss a complaint from a trans activist that a woman standing up for her rights had criminally damaged his obviously broken umbrella.
Nonsense like that, arising from an attempt to disrupt a demonstration by the For Women Scotland movement outside Holyrood, is the kind of incident which undermines public confidence when most people have experiences of real crimes going unsolved, and of genuinely anti-social behaviour unchallenged.
What restores faith is effective operations, such as we saw last week when there was no repeat of the Bonfire Night rioting of recent years.
Not only did intelligence gathering bear fruit, with the seizure of two consignments of pyrotechnics heading for Edinburgh from Fife and West Lothian, but speaking to senior police officers this week, the disruption of serious criminal activity in the months beforehand has paid unexpected dividends.
It proves the link between coordinated public disorder and organised crime, because the arrest of over 60 people heavily involved in drug dealing and the extreme violence in Edinburgh linked to the extended gangland feud between Glasgow’s Lyons and Daniels clans, also broke up the supply of fireworks.
A successful communications effort with shopkeepers resulted in a widespread self-imposed restriction on sales, so while a few were still loosed off on the night, there was nothing like the mayhem of previous years. Those who might otherwise have caused trouble simply ran out of fireworks and with nothing to do, just went home.
It also appears that knowing officers were wearing bodycams for the first time made many potential troublemakers think twice.
But what an effort it took to achieve the result, and there is always a risk that without an operation on a similar scale every year, rioting could recur.
For now it means officers can concentrate on other priorities, and attention is being switched to the growing scourge of the anti-social use of e-bikes and off-road motorcycles. Again there is a link with organised crime, because they are not just used for joy-riding or simply getting up the noses of law-abiding people for the sake of it, but for scouting round residential streets to identify high-value cars for theft.
With one riding pillion, houses can be checked quickly to see if they can be broken into and the keys lifted to drive the car away, which can then be in a shipping container within hours. E-bikes mean large areas can be covered in silence.
Some have suggested stingers, but as riders might lose control when their tyres suddenly burst there’s a risk of serious head injuries, so they could only be used if the riders were wearing helmets, which they never do.
In the meantime, officers would like to see more widespread use of video doorbells which, even if the house has not been the target, can help identify thieves. The cameras have been known to picture them removing their masks round the corner from the break-in, when they didn’t realise they were being recorded.
There was a crackdown in April this year when ten bikes were seized, but that barely scratches the surface, and police desperately need new powers of seizure. Thankfully there is cross-party recognition that the problem needs addressing, but the pace must be accelerated. And no more time wasted on politically-correct prosecutions.