Police have acted to reassure communities that they understand the impact of violent crime after a string of incidents in estates across Alexandria and Bonhill.
Residents in Alexandria were said to have been left “absolutely terrified” following the most recent incident in the town last week.
Officers faced a grilling from councillors in the wake of a disturbance in Munro Street last Monday.
Residents watched as an assault – which left three people injured and saw four appear in court charged serious assault – unfolded in broad daylight at around 6pm on the Mayday bank holiday.
West Dunbartonshire Council’s Depute Leader, Michelle McGinty, asked senior cops if they could offer “reassurance” to communities, at Wednesday’s Housing and Communities Committee.
Councillor McGinty, who represents the Leven ward, told officers: “The people that were involved in that and saw that will have been in contact with police.
“Obviously some of those people there, who were absolutely terrified, had young kids and were having to see and listen to this unfolding during the day.
“I would just like a bit of reassurance.
“Although that wasn’t disturbance like we have seen in Brucehill and Bonhill it was a really serious disturbance that affected a lot of residents in that area.”
Chief Inspector Ryan McMurdo responded “Absolutely” and told the committee: “If any other concerns develop over time, we will act on them”.
His comments were echoed by Chief Superintendent Lynn Ratcliff, who heads up the area’s policing team, who added: “There have been arrests in connection with that, but nonetheless, we absolutely understand how serious that is.”
The exchange came as councillors and senior police officers held discussions over a string of public disorder incidents in the area’s estates.
Large-scale incidents which unfolded in both Bonhill and Brucehill in March, in which properties where targeted by angry crowds with fireworks set off and cars also damaged, also came under the spotlight.
Chief Superintendent Ratcliff offered assurances over the incidents, telling the meeting: “Public trust and confidence and resident satisfaction is really important to us and there’s work ongoing to reassure the community.
“First of all, from the prompt action that was taken, not only on the night in terms of the number of local, regional and national resources that turned up to police that event.
“But what people don’t see is in the background there’s a huge amount of intelligence being gathered that actually allows us to try and target offenders or target people that might want to get involved before they actually get to the stage of being involved.
“Police response on the night is just one aspect of that public reassurance.”
The top brass also outlined how officers have also been in talks with affected communities to keep them abreast of developments, continuing: “I think it has had a huge part to play in the fact that we have not seen any such behaviour since and I would be as bold as to say that action we have taken here has probably had an impact across the whole country because this particular group who were instigating that activity had indulged in similar behaviours elsewhere and we probably had, if I’m being honest, an absolutely zero tolerance approach to that exactly for the reasons that transpired.
“It has a huge impact on not only people who have witnessed it who then have the police coming to the door to ask for statements, asking to look at CCTV if they have Ring doorbell cameras – and I understand that not everybody is comfortable with that.
“So we take the community issues seriously so our community officers have a huge part to play in that.”
Chief Inspector McMurdo said the division had returned to “old-fashioned” community policing methods and added that he had personally met with community leaders in both Brucehill and Castlehill, deeming it “really important” and adding that officers “rely” on communities and elected officials to support them.
Three men – aged 34, 36 and 57 – were taken by ambulance to hospital following the incident in Munro Street, on Monday, May 1.
A 25-year-old woman and men aged 36 and 38 appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court charged with assault to severe injury and danger of life last week.
A 57-year-old man also appeared on a charge of assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and another of assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and danger of life.
No pleas were entered and the cases continued.
In relation to the incidents in Brucehill, 10 people have so far been appeared in court charged with mobbing and rioting after police raided properties in Clydebank, Glasgow, Port Glasgow, Wishaw and Livingston.
Police say investigations into the incidents are continuing.
