Over 70 teenagers have been caught with knives, drugs and stolen items across the north and north-east between April and September last year, data has revealed.
Police stop and search teams caught 13-year-old boys with Class B drugs in Inverurie and Buckie, while a 15-year-old boy was found with Class A and B drugs in the George Street/Harbour area of Aberdeen.
Police said officers work in line with a strict code of practice, especially when searching young people.
The Scottish Police Federation, which represents the rank and file officers, said a reduction in the number of officers in schools and communities means “preventative” opportunities are being missed.
Analysis of all stop and search data, published today by 1919 Magazine, shows that children aged between 10 and 17 were responsible for 123 cases in which a weapon was found between April and September 2024.
That accounts for more than a quarter of positive weapons searches for all age groups.
The incidents were spread across Scotland.
Including finds of drugs and stolen goods, children under the age of 18 were subject to 566 successful searches in that period.
The number totalled 74 successful searches across the north and north-east.
In Aberdeen City, there were 14 successful stop and searches, with 11 made for drugs, two for stolen property and one due to a weapon being found on a 15-year-old male.
Elsewhere in the north-east, 24 were conducted in Aberdeenshire, with 21 of these resulting in drugs being found.
There were two instances where weapons were discovered and one final successful search where the item or items recovered are classified only as “other”.
Across other council areas in the north of Scotland, the following data was revealed:
Highland
There were 28 successful stop and searches conducted in this time period.
Drugs were recovered in 24 of those instances, while another three related to stolen property.
In the final case, a 14-year-old girl was found with a weapon in the Thurso area.
Moray
In Moray, there were seven successful searches across the area, with six recovering drugs.
One final search was recorded as care and welfare issues.
Argyll and islands
In Oban South and the Isles in Argyll, one 17-year-old male was caught with Class B drugs.
There were no recorded successful searches in Orkney, Shetland or the Western Isles.
Scottish Police Federation chairman David Threadgold said: “Police officers who face members of the public in possession of knives or any other weapon are required to make immediate decisions to try to de-escalate those situations.
“There are occasions where it is simply impossible to establish the age of the person involved.
“Officers are trained and understand that their actions must be justifiable and subject to the appropriate scrutiny.
“As police officers have largely withdrawn from school environments, the visibility of the police in our communities is reduced – and the police are seen in communities as merely a reactive force.
“Along with a reducing – if any – preventative element to policing, opportunities are being missed to develop the type of relationships and intelligence gathering that may form part of the solution to this.”
‘Crime has spiralled out of control’
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr accused the SNP Scottish Government of being being “asleep at the wheel while crime has spiralled out of control”.
Mr Kerr said: “They need to wake up to the gravity of this situation and ensure our children are educated against falling into a life of crime.
“They must also provide police with the resources they need to keep communities safe.”
In response, the Scottish Government highlighted a £4 million investment in violence prevention over the past two years, adding that 1.3 million young people across Scotland have been supported through various community and education initiatives.
A spokesperson said: “It is wrong to suggest that crime has spiralled out of control when recorded crime is down 40% since 2006/07.
“It is unacceptable that any child or young person is caught with weapons, drugs or stolen goods.
“Preventing children from going down a path where they are in conflict with the law and supporting them appropriately, constructively and effectively when they do, has been integral to our approach for over a decade.
“Police Scotland and their council partners may increase patrols targeting those involved in disorder and criminality.
“Anyone with information should report this to them.”
‘Stop and search is a valuable and effective policing tactic’
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Sutherland of Police Scotland added: “The carrying of weapons is a complex issue with social, psychological and environmental factors all contributing.
“We work hard with local communities and a range of partners, including the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, with a shared goal of preventing harm, reducing violence and improving the lives of our young people and our communities.
“Stop and search that is intelligence-led is a valuable and effective policing tactic that helps us keep people safe in many different ways.
“This tactic must be used lawfully, proportionately and in line with the code of practice.”
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