LARGE TURNOUT FOR ABERCHIRDER COUNCILLOR’S JOINT SURGERY WITH GRAMPIAN POLICE

Aberchirder SNP councillor Ian Gray has said he was very pleased with the turnout at the surgery he organised jointly with Grampian Police in Aberchirder at the weekend.

Councillor Gray arranged to hold a joint consultation with Sergeant Cameron of Grampian Police following a series of housebreakings and other incidents in Aberchirder recently. However, owing to the large turnout of constituents, the surgery had to move into the main church hall and became a public meeting. Two local males and a local female were charged with 13 offences last month.

Commenting, Councillor Ian Gray said:

“I estimate that there must have been over one hundred people turned up for my surgery with Sergeant Cameron. My Ward colleague Councillor Cox was also present and I thank both of them for coming along.

“It is clear that in spite of the recent arrests made by the police, there remains a lot of anger in the community, partly as a result of the courts letting some of the accused persons out on bail.

“I think the meeting was very useful in that it sent a clear message to the police that there is still much more to do in Aberchirder so that decent law-abiding people can once again feel safe in their own community. I am determined that thugs and criminals are not going to ride roughshod over our community in this way and I will continue to press for further action from the police. In this, I am very pleased to have the support of the local MSP, Stewart Stevenson.”

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson added:

“Ian Gray is to be congratulated on his initiative in holding this meeting. I have been in regular contact with senior officers in Grampian Police since these criminal acts were first brought to my attention by concerned constituents.

“I have just last week urged the Area Commander, Superintendent McLaren, to deploy more police resources in Aberchirder in order to come down hard on any instances of anti-social or criminal behaviour.”