POLICE have pledged to continue their fight against the heroin trade blighting Glasgow's streets.
As reported in the Evening Times, drug addicts are regularly breaking in to Calton closes to shoot up, while drug dealers are brazenly selling their supply on the streets.
Many residents who live in the area say they have been forced to flee, tackle the drug addicts themselves or stay in their homes permanently due to the problems.
Inspector George Campbell. who is responsible for community police in the Calton area, has pledged to continue the fight on the area's drug trade, and has urged locals to help.
He has deployed a squad of undercover and plain clothes officers to the worst affected streets and has successfully evicted several homes where drug dealing is rife.
He said: "For the last year I have had a team of officers dedicated to the area specifically for the drug dealing activities.
"People may not always see them, some are in plain clothes for example, but they are dedicated to that operation.
"The Calton It suffers from a high demand - it's a very deprived area, there are a lot of issues. It's certainly difficult.
"From a policing perspective, we've been trying to tackle to drug dealing activity on the street.
"We have closed properties using antisocial behaviour legislation against drug dealing activities.
"It's an ongoing process and there's no plan to end that."
Inspector Campbell, who has been leading the fight against Calton's drug problems for the last year, said there has been a 30 per cent reduction in the number of syringes being handed in to council needle exchanges in the last year.
He explained: "It's hard to get a measure of how much drug taking is going on in the street.
"We are using the depositing of dirty needles, which causes a huge concern for public health and blood-borne viruses as an idea.
"Compared to last year there has been around a 30% reduction in the number of needles which have been deposited with our partners in the council which is a good indication that there is a downward trend in the number of people taking drugs.
"The issue for local residents is the irresponsible drug taking.
"It is happening very close to where the drugs are being sourced.
"A lot of people travel there to buy the drugs, they are not always from the area, and they go and take them as soon as possible."
The inspector has urged local residents to help officers tackle the problem by reporting any information about dealing or taking drugs near their homes.
He said: "It's a fluid situation, the places being used frequently changes, and alternates.
"That is something we really need as much information from the community as possible about.
"The people who sell drugs do it in an organised way and are aware of police tactics to counter them.
"The staff I have in the area have a good knowledge of the area but there is no substitute for local knowledge."
Anyone with information on illegal drug activity in Calton is asked to contact police on 101 where they can arrange to speak to an officer, or have one visit them.
Anonymous information can be given via 101 or by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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