FEARS AFTER DRUGS CASES FALL

THE number of drug-dealers convicted of their crimes in the Capital
has fallen - despite a major police crackdown on the scourge.

Official statistics show an increase in both the number of offences
recorded by the police and the volume of cases reported to the
procurator fiscal for supplying illegal drugs or possession with
intent to supply.

But prosecutions and convictions for such offences have
fallen.

Today, politicians demanded an explanation and called for more
resources to be pumped into the justice system.

The statistics, gathered from parliamentary answers, show recorded
offences of supply or possession with intent to supply went from 930
in 1999 and 824 in 2000 to 1111 in 2001. Cases reported to the
procurator fiscal rose from 268 in 1999-2000 to 325 in 2001-02 and 464
in 2001-02.

But at the same time, total prosecutions fell from 542 in 1999 to 469
in 2000 and 431 in 2001.

And convictions dropped from 409 in 1999 to 368 in 2000 and 354 in
2001. The prosecution and conviction figures include some High Court
cases from outside the Edinburgh area.

SNP Lothians MSP Kenny MacAskill said: "The police are cracking down
on this menace, but it seems the system is not delivering the results.

"It must be debilitating for police morale and it is technically a
waste of resources if we are not following through.

"We need an explanation why we are failing to capitalise on good
police work."

Mr MacAskill said the figures seemed surprising in view of Lothian and
Bordersb anti-drugs drive, Operation Foil.

"It has been high profile and very successful, or so we were led to
believe. It has had a deterrent effect.

"We want to ensure the rank and file on the beat are not undermined by
a shortage of fiscals or whatever excuse the Scottish Executive come
up with."

Scottish Tories justice spokesman James Douglas-Hamilton said there
should be more fiscals and more resources for the justice system.

He said: "It is no use the police working enormously hard to bring
cases to trial if at the end of the day there is such a backlog in the
courts and fiscalsb office that these matters cannot be dealt with
quickly and efficiently. We have said repeatedly that the fiscal
service is under intolerable pressure."

But Dr Alastair Brown, assistant procurator fiscal in Edinburgh, said:
"I cannot speculate on particular decisions over a period of three
years, but I am satisfied that staff numbers was not the issue."

The Scottish Executive said it was committed to tackling drug-related
crime.

"We continue to set the Scottish police demanding targets which
concentrate on Class A drugs and, without being complacent, we are
encouraged by the progress that is being made. We have recorded an
increase of 173 per cent in the weight of Class A drugs seized by
enforcement bodies.

"In addition, there has been a 35 per cent increase - 172 actual
arrests - in the number of arrests of people involved in drug
trafficking, and a 68 per cent increase in the number of drug seizures."

The Crown Office claimed it was misleading to compare the different
sets of figures.

A spokesman said: "The comparison is not like with like. For example,
one accused could have 20 related drug offences reported to the
procurator fiscal by the police which we record as one case. Therefore
police reporting figures will not match with prosecution figures."

The spokesman said procurators fiscal were duty bound to investigate
any crime made known to them.

Alistair Ramsay, of Scotland Against Drugs, said one reason for the
increase in drug detection rates was the setting up of the Scottish
Drugs Enforcement Agency.

And he said the new drug courts, being piloted in Glasgow and Fife,
should help improve conviction rates.