Partnership days of action for drugs in Aberdeenshire
As part of the collaborative approach towards reducing drug related harm in the Aberdeenshire area, Police Scotland and Community Safety partners from Aberdeenshire Council, Aberdeenshire Health & Social Care Partnership and the NHS were involved in two days of support and engagement focussed work across the North and South Aberdeenshire areas by providing support to those vulnerable to drug related harm and by targeting those involved in the supply of controlled drugs in our communities.
In partnership under Operation Protector, on 22nd and 23rd of March 2023, over 60 staff from a combination of Community Safety, Criminal Justice Social Work, Substance Misuse, Housing, Children’s and Families and Police carried out engagement and enforcement to demonstrate the whole system and a multi-agency approach to tackling the issues associated with drug related harm in our communities.
Focussing around bringing support to those most vulnerable in our communities, over 100 outreach visits were conducted to individuals identified as being at risk of drug related harm, which included those at risk of overdose, substance dependency, cuckooing and exploitation. Those who were spoken too were offered immediate support from services designed to safeguard them and provide them with tailored support to their needs.
Complementing the outreach work and to disrupt those involved in exploiting vulnerable people, 7 Drug Search Warrants were executed in the Fraserburgh, Turriff, Pitmedden and Kemnay areas, resulting in the recovery of small amounts of controlled drugs. Those detained during the warrants were offered immediate support by the Aberdeenshire Responsive Intervention Engagement Service (ARIES) team, with some taking the first steps into being supported for their own vulnerabilities.
Inspector Claire Smith from Partnerships, Preventions & Interventions for North East Division of Police Scotland said:
“This partnership under Operation Protector continues to focus around the need for effective intervention and outreach to those most vulnerable in our communities. We recognise that substance consumption isn’t always a choice and that addiction and the stigma attached to it are very real issues within our communities. Whilst we will continue to tackle those causing drug related harm in our communities using traditional enforcement methods, Police Scotland are committed to simultaneously working in partnership with services to support alternative methods of reducing harm in our communities by safeguarding the most vulnerable and through this making our communities less appealing and lucrative to those involved in serious and organised crime.”
If you or anyone you know are effected by drug related harm, support and assistance are available to you by calling 01467 539013 (Aberdeenshire)
If you live in Aberdeen City or Moray, support is also available by calling 0333 3 448 355 (Aberdeen Drugs Action) or 01343 610500 (Arrows, Moray).
If you are at risk or are being forced to sell controlled drugs, please call 101 or in an emergency call 999.
