THE POLICE CAMPAIGN against serious assaults in the north east has resulted in eight more arrests being made throughout the region.
Eight men have been held in connection with separate assaults as a result of the latest phase in Operation PINE launched on Friday, July 1.
Since then a large number of offenders have been detected and dealt with by police – who say that the latest phase is ongoing with officers being deployed “to the right places at the right times”.
In total last month 42 men and women between the ages of 16 and 54 were charged under the operation, with Sergeant Mike Stobie from the Divisional Alcohol and Violence Reduction Unit saying that violence in any shape or form would not be tolerated.
He said: “Tackling violence is a challenge across the North East and the safety of vulnerable members of our local communities is a key priority. I cannot stress enough the effects violent crime can have on victims and their families.
“Whilst Police locally continued to record positive detection rates for violent crime, the focus now is on prevention and to stop incidents of violent crime before they have a chance to happen.
“Operation PINE serves to strengthen our commitment to tackling violence and Community Officers, Detectives and dedicated DAVRU officers are located right across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray ensuring support for communities and their vulnerable people.
“I would like to take the opportunity at this point to stress that the success we are having in tackling violent crime is thanks to the support we get from the local communities and victims who put their trust in Police to report offenders.
“I would encourage people to continue providing us with information about violence so that we can take action quickly and effectively.
“Tackling violence is a real concern for the public and a top priority for local Policing teams who are committed to ensuring our communities are as safe as they can possibly be. Our message is clear – offenders are not welcome, and those who do act violently will be dealt with robustly.”