More cops on the way for South Lanarkshire

May 1 2008 By John Rowbotham

POLICE numbers in South Lanarkshire are set to increase by up to 70.

A total of 49 extra cops are to be deployed in the division as part of the SNP Government’s pledge to increase police strength.

A further six officers will be drafted in following a shake-up of policing priorities prompted by the new Chief Constable of Strathclyde, Steve House.

And yesterday (Wednesday) South Lanarkshire councillors agreed to fund 15 new community-based cops at a cost of £½m a year.

Council chiefs will have a say on where and how those 15 officers are used.

Mr House has told Strathclyde Police Board that an additional 465 officers will be available to the Force over the next three years.

South Lanarkshire is likely to be allocated 49 officers from the extra cops to be recruited.

Efforts are also under way to make sufficient savings to increase the number of South Lanarkshire community police officers by six to 59.

The 15 new police officers to be funded by the council would provide additional support for the joint council/police Problem Solving partnership, which comprises community police officers, community wardens and officers from other council departments.

Council leader Eddie McAvoy said officers had been working with top cops on how the additional police would be used.

Some of the new officers are likely to be deployed in Blantyre, Larkhall, Hamilton and Clydesdale.

Councillor McAvoy added: “I believe this is a bold move that will go a long way to make an early impact on tackling crime and the fear of crime by improving police response in our communities.

“New teams will be able to provide a targeted response to problems identified by people.

“The idea is that they would be active in taking an early intervention approach to problems like anti-social behaviour.”

Councillor McAvoy said the community policing initiative Better Blantyre, which had been running for three years, was likely to come within the new set-up.

A total of £250,000 would be spent by the council this financial year on the recruitment and training of officers, with £½m committed to the project in the years that follow.

Councillor McAvoy added: “Between national funding, internal restructuring and council funding, a total of 70 additional officers could be patrolling South Lanarkshire before long.”

Tory Group spokesman Graham Simpson welcomed the recruitment of the extra officers, adding: “It has been shown that a greater police presence on the streets cuts crime. This move in South Lanarkshire can only benefit everyone.”