Eight men have been arrested in connection with eight serious assaults across the north-east.
The latest phase of Operation PINE – a new Police initiative which aims to reduce violent crime by maximizing intelligence, prevention and enforcement – launched on Friday and numerous offenders have already been detected and dealt with by officers.
Last month, 42 men and women aged between 16 and 54-years-of-age were charged as Operation PINE targeted those responsible for committing incidents of domestic abuse.
Sergeant Mike Stobie from the Divisional Alcohol and Violence Reduction Unit (DAVRU) said that violence in any shape or form will 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.”