Councillors have raised concerns about the impact of illicit drug supply in the Western Isles.
Claims dealers were brazenly operating in locations were voiced at a comhairle meeting.
Offences in relation to supply of drugs in the islands have reduced by half from six cases to three between April and December last year compared to the same period in 2021.
An increase in the number of police stop and searches led to a doubling of people caught in possession of illegal drugs have doubled to 101 cases in the same period.
Chief inspector Jane Mackenzie, the senior police officer in the islands, told the forum police will act on information over suspected drug dealers and suppliers.
“Bring it to our attention so we can tackle it,” she stated.
"There is a desire, officers want to be proactive and want to be out tackling these individuals, but we’re not getting the information to allow us to do that.
“Even once we get that information, the process is that we have to put it through the procurator fiscal and to then assess the information and agree whether or not we can go to a sheriff for a warrant.
“But first and foremost we need the information coming in and I’m not confident it’s coming into us to allow that action to be taken.”
Cllr Calum Maclean said parents had told him aboutschool age children being offered drugs “on the streets of Stornoway” often around the Bells Road area of the town.
Councillor Finlay Stewart suppliers should be especially targetted
He is aware of people “openly dealing drugs” and feared their victims would end up owing a “huge amount of debt” if purchasing on a pay later basis. Impacts can affect the rest of the family he added.
Councillor Norman Macdonald said through his employment as a taxi driver he has observed drug dealing in Stornoway being coming “far more obvious “ than before.
“It’s pretty much in your face, and blatant” he stated.
“There was a time when they actually used to get out of my car to deal drugs. Now they just wind down the window. There’s not a care being given now about the dealing that’s going on.
Kenneth Maclean who represents Barra and Vatersay said a "number of overdoses" from illicit substances have occurred in his area. He understood suppliers were identified to police but “nothing ever seems to happen.”
It has also led to "some pretty horrific violent crime.
"I don’t actually know how it’s getting to the island, obviously we don’t have a sniffer dog or anything like that.”
Chief inspector Mackenzie said: “The (sniffer) dog is a resource for the entire Western Isles so there’s no reason why they cannot attend there, and I would welcome a discussion with Councillor Maclean in relation to the incidents that he’s referenced.
“I would reiterate, we are not gettinginformation about drug dealing, we’re getting information about possession."
She urged anyone who has information in relation to drug dealing in the islands to "let me know that information, because we are not getting the intelligence about drug dealers.
“I’ll go back to what Councillor Macdonald said about taxi drivers taking people from A to B -
She added: “We need the information to enable us to go and request warrants. There’s a (legal) process to follow in relation to warrant applications and tackling drug dealers.
“They are the people that we need to be targeting as communities and need to be looking to have some focussed activity on because people that are using these substances, it has a significant impact on home , family life and their ability to function in their jobs, in their homes , in their communities. But we cannot take that action without information.”
Concerns over drug dealing in Western Isles
9 February 2023
Chief inspector Jane Mackenzie