Cops get tough to claim back mean streets

COPS are using ferocious shock and awe-style tactics to win the war on crime.

Strathclyde Police plan to "lock down" crime ghettos for 24 hours in a bid to Save Our Streets.

The tactic, pioneered in tough US cities like New York and Los Angeles, sees every available officer thrown at notorious troublespots to deliver a three-phase crackdown.

The scheme was trialled this week in Glasgow's tough Knightswood and Scotstoun areas - and we were the ONLY newspaper there to see how it sends criminals scuttling for cover.

PHASE ONE begins at dawn with intelligence-led raids on the area's biggest scumbags, crooks, drug-dealers and gangsters.

PHASE TWO sees cops and community officers work together to target joyriders, graffiti, illegally-parked cars and anti-social neighbours.

PHASE THREE sees the army of officers blitz night-time offences - knife-carrying, prostitution, drug-taking, drunkenness, and violence.

Strathclyde's pioneering Chief Constable Stephen House reckons it's the best chance we have to stamp out the lawlessness gripping the country.

And the officer in charge of the trial, Superintendent David Donaldson, said: "I've been in the force for 22 years and I can say without hesitation that this is the best thing we've done in years.

"We have sent out a clear message to the minority who make life hell for the law-abiding majority - we're coming to get you."

Our reporters joined cops at the beginning of the crackdown, which is codenamed Operation Fleet, in the early hours of Friday.

Officers bristling with nervous tension gathered for a briefing at Saracen Police Office in the city's Possilpark area at 5.30am.

At 6am, seven vans containing 30 cops left the station to begin their 20-minute journey to a suspected drug dealer's pad in Knightswood.

It was on the 14th floor of a multi-storey flat complex - but that didn't stop Strathclyde's Support Unit.

Dressed in balaclavas, boiler suits and crash helmets, the cops used a battering ram to force his door open.

A dozen bobbies then POURED into the flat, catching the suspect fast asleep in his bed.

A nine-year-old cocker spaniel called Jock, who is trained to sniff out drugs, was let loose in the suspect's flat. The pooch didn't disappoint and quickly found a suspicious package.

The clock had yet to strike seven, but Operation Fleet had claimed its first arrest - a 31-year-old man, who is expected to appear on drugs charges at Glasgow Sheriff Court tomorrow.

At the same time, colleagues were busy tracking down offenders who had tried to escape justice. They were executing warrants to nab people who have dodged court.

There were 100 such offenders to look for in just a three-mile square area. The Scottish News Of the World accompanied one specialist snatch squad to execute a warrant.

"This guy allegedly assaulted a police officer," one cop told us. It was clear the officers weren't taking any chances as a result.

Using a battering ram, cops wearing stab-proof vests quickly gained entry to his high-rise flat. Faced with such overwhelming odds, the crook, who was in his 20s, came quietly. Operation Fleet had claimed another scalp.

Sergeant Bill Hodgson, 46, was one of the men who went through the door. Bill, who has 23 years of police service, said he was extremely enthusiastic about the new initiative.

He added: "It's fantastic. We're getting our hands dirty and doing the job that we came into the police for.

"It's possible the people who are wanted on these warrants are also committing other crimes.

"Therefore, by taking them off the street you're reducing crime. It's as simple as that."

Meanwhile Strathclyde Police's Traffic Division were busy patrolling the area for law-breaking motorists. Officers driving the force's BMW 5 Series vehicles have a secret weapon in their motors.

It's an onboard computer database called ANPR - Automatic Number Plate Recognition - and flags up motors whose drivers could have broken the law.

The cops had great success. At 2pm in Scotstoun, they found a £40,000 silver Range Rover that appeared to have been stolen from an address in England. They also managed to pick out countless motorists who were driving without tax or insurance.

At nearby Knightswood Shopping Centre, officers set up a caravan in a bid to gain intelligence on criminals from members of the public.

And Supt Donaldson said people were all too ready to come forward to give information.

He added: "People are reassured by our presence here. We're building up useful intelligence on a number of individuals.

"It's definitely the future. This is how we're going to police Glasgow - and the whole of Scotland for years to come."

Suddenly, just a few yards away, a plain clothes officer spotted a ned acting suspiciously.

The cop saw the hooligan seemingly taking a MEAT CLEAVER from his trousers and hide it in his jacket. The officer immediately shouted at the thug to stop but the yob ignored the shout and fled.

The officer gave chase, and was immediately joined by colleagues on foot, car and horseback. The ned gave cops the slip in a nearby high-rise.

But officers still took the opportunity to stop and search suspicious characters for blades.

Minutes later, officers at the shopping centre were stopped by a man who looked like a heroin addict.

He said: "Excuse me mate. I'm sorry to bother you. But there's a guy lying dead in my house. Can you come and check it out for me?"

Officers then searched the man's property and found a body.

It was another grim footnote to life in the tough inner-city schemes.

As part of the drive cops work closely with staff from Glasgow Community and Safety Services.

">CHECK out the police operation with our exclusive footage:

Wardens from the council-sponsored organisation were busy cleaning up gang-related graffiti, picking up litter and handing out £50 fixed penalty notices to folk caught dropping rubbish.

Staff also set up a mobile five-a-side football pitch in a bid to attract teenagers who may have been tempted to indulge in anti-social behaviour.

GCSS manager Willie Caie said this aspect of the 24-hour blitz is just as important as catching criminals.

He said: "It's important work. By keeping an area clean and tidy, we are sending the message out out to people that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated.

"Research has shown that there is a link between cleaning an area up and reducing the levels of crime in that locality."

The massive police presence continued well into the night.

In the evening, troublespots such as Earl Street in Scotstoun and nearby Plean Street were constantly patrolled by police vans and beat bobbies.

Between 7pm and 10pm, British Transport cops manned Scotstoun train station with metal detectors in a bid to catch knife-carrying thugs.

Our team also accompanied Inspector David Wood and his men on their travels across the area.

We saw officers stop and carry out searches of young lads who were acting suspiciously. As the night progressed, colleagues on other patrols found thugs carrying knives and drugs.

Foot patrols walked up and down high-rises to check for muggers, underage drinkers or drug addicts shooting up in quiet back alleys.

By midnight, the streets were deserted as troublemakers stayed indoors.

In an area which is usually plagued by serious crime, cops were happy to report that no serious assaults had taken place.

Inspector Wood said: "I would say without any hesitation that this has been a tremendous success.

"Long may it continue. We've got a real chance to change this bit of the city for good now."