INVERNESS police are preparing for the seasonal increase in shop-lifting in the city. Last year an Operation Eagle team were deployed in the city centre in the run-up to Christmas and the result was that 24 people were arrested or reported for retail crime.

Operation Eagle has proved highly successful in the Inverness Command Area tackling the crimes that bother the public most.
In the first three months of this year, for instance, 12 over-loud stereo systems were seized from persistent offenders. Where previously over 4000 calls involving automatic alarms were answered per year - mostly false alarms through poor management of the alarm system - this number has now been substantially reduced after a word with frequent offenders.
South Kessock has been highlighted as an area where crimes of vandalism and public disorder have been much reduced. On the downside, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of heroin in the area and drugs is featuring highly in the police’s plans for the coming year.

On the positive side, over £100,000 drugs were seized and taken off the market in Inverness in the first three months of this year alone.
“Greater emphasis is now placed on criminal intelligence to direct our proactive policing activities,” said a spokesman for Area Command.