A SENIOR Tayside police officer has expressed concern over a “creeping rise” in the culture of carrying weapons as the force revealed it had recorded the biggest rise in detected possession of weapons in Scotland, writes Lynne Stewart.

Chief Superintendent Ian Alexander said the 39% increase in those discovered carrying offensive weapons is not necessarily down to a rise in blade carrying but is rather down to a more proactive approach by police to catch culprits.

Knife crime has long been a problem in the west coast of Scotland and in larger cities but the culture would seem to have spread to other parts of Scotland including Tayside, where there has been a steady increase. After a high-profile crackdown in the mid to late 1990s, the problem of offensive weapons seemed to abate but is returning as a way of life for many.

The DUNCAN (Dundee Co-ordinated Anti-Crime Network) campaign extended its retail crime initiative into the night-time economy last year with bars and nightclubs recruited to the scheme, which has proved successful in tackling drink-fuelled hooligans and criminals in Dundee city centre.

Banning orders, which can be obtained by nightclubs and pubs for individuals who consistently misbehave, have also helped police. Five hundred fixed penalty notices have also been issued since April 1.

“The reason why there is an increase in detections is because of CCTV, greater searching going on at pubs and clubs, better door stewarding and more proactive policing targeting the city centre that has resulted in high levels of recovered offensive weapons,” said Mr Alexander.

“There has been a creeping rise in the use of weapons, particularly knife carrying. It is a worrying trend.

“It’s not confined to young males. We are increasingly finding that females are carrying offensive weapons. One or two females have said it is for protection purposes and other ones are clearly carrying them into pubs and clubs on behalf of their male friends in attempts to avoid being searched.

“The vast majority of weapons are not knives or bladed weapons. They are everyday items like buckle belts. Anything they can get their hands on.

“A greater number of assaults take place using bottles or glasses smuggled out of nightclubs and pubs. We have discussed this with the evening economy trade to ensure that door staff look out for people leaving with bottles and glasses.”

Mr Alexander said a return to high-profile campaigns like the successful Operation Combat in the 1990s, would be considered if necessary.

“We said at the time of Operation Combat that we would revisit it if we thought it was necessary. We now do more routine searching than we did at that time. Pubs and clubs do a lot more searching now as well.

“The vast majority are weapons of opportunity. People are not premeditating assaults. Tayside has still the third lowest number of assaults for any police force in Scotland. Dundee is an extremely safe place.”

The Executive plans to introduce tougher measures through the forthcoming Police Bill, which plans to double the maximum penalty from two to four years for carrying knives in public. They also propose to raise the minimum age for the sale of knives from 16 to 18. A consultation will be carried out on plans to introduce further restrictions on the sale of non-domestic knives and swords.

Mr Alexander welcomed the legislation.

“Having that (the bill) makes people think twice about carrying a weapon and that has to be helpful. It’s tackling the problem from us catching people to them being properly punished in the courts.

“The other side of it is to make people think how they may be caught up in a situation where they

either use weapons or have the weapon used on themselves. We had murders where someone has died after being stabbed with a very small pen knife and there have been people who have died that have been struck by a single punch and hit their head on the road. The best form of defence is to run away rather than get involved.

“There is a weapon carrying culture in Scotland. People carrying weapons think they are somehow going to aid their personal protection. I would say to them that they are just as likely to have the weapon they are carrying turned against them.”