Schools and Police call for information on suspected anti-social, alcohol and drug activity
3rd June 2019
Highland schools and Police call on people to share information on suspected anti-social, alcohol and drug activity.
Highland Council secondary schools in the Mid Highland area and Police Scotland are writing to parents and carers urging them to share any concerns or information related to possible anti-social behaviour, alcohol and drug activity in their areas.
A joint letter sent to parents and carers of pupils gives reassurance that schools and Police are working together to ensure young people, schools and communities remain safe.
The letter also invites parents and carers to an Information Evening on Monday 10 June 2019 - 7pm at Dingwall Academy. Further details on the event have been sent home from each secondary school.
The letter informs that there has been notable: "...increases in the volume of information shared regarding drug and alcohol activity, and in anti-social behaviour in the Mid-Highland Area and around our communities."
It explains that: “Although these are not new issues, the risks do seem to be more prevalent than previously with increased risk-taking behaviour among a greater proportion of young people and at earlier ages.”
The letter also states that: “Pupils, parents and carers need to be aware that young people are using and supplying harmful substances across our communities and seem to believe that such activity is ‘normal' for them and others. Controlled substances previously believed to not have been a significant issue for young people in many areas in Highland are now readily available. It is possible for young people, to access a wide variety of substances and these can include (but not exclusively) cannabis, psycho-active substances (‘legal highs’) and prescription drugs. These can be obtained from local contacts, wider contacts through social media and can be purchased on-line in some cases.
“The incidence of reports regarding anti-social behaviour is also increasing. Reports are of open air drunkenness and associated verbal abuse, mess and danger to the public from broken glass and other waste being left behind in parks, on beaches and in other public amenity spaces; of verbal abuse and intimidation of members of the public; often vulnerable young people and adults being the victims of such abuse; of purchase, selling and use of a range of substances which can then impact on further anti-social behaviours and also irresponsible behaviour on and near roads.
“All partners involved to date support the view that to address these concerns, schools, parents, pupils and partners such as Police Scotland, Social Work Service and Youth Action Team, Community Councils etc need to work together to identify and address such risk taking and anti-social behaviour and reduce the impact they are having on our communities and on our young people. Almost all of these behaviours occur in the evenings and at weekends/holidays.”
Highland Council and Police Scotland are urging pupils, parents and carers that where concerns exist about possible drug-activities, information is passed on either to the Crime Stoppers helpline on 0800 555 111; Police Scotland on 101 or to local schools.
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Wick Business Park has welcomed wind energy technology company ENERCON as the first occupant of one of four new units completed last year. ENERCON specialises in designing, producing, installing and servicing onshore wind turbines and has been operating in the Caithness area since 2013.
Additional empty homes officers are being recruited to bring more privately owned houses back into use. The new posts are being supported as part of a £2 million investment through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership in 2025-26 which will see staff take a more proactive and targeted approach to tackling local housing issues.
The Highland Strategic Local Action Group (LAG) met in June 2025 and considered and agreed funding for 28 projects submitted to the Community-Led Local Development fund (CLLD), which makes up part of The Highland Council Community Regeneration Fund (CRF) programme. CRF is an umbrella term used to cover multiple external funding programmes administered by The Highland Council.
Highland Council has provided 12 ‘Talking Tub' resources for use in primary schools across the Highlands, in partnership with Union Technical who deliver community benefits as part of the Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme programme. Chair of Highland Council's Education Committee, Councillor John Finlayson, said: "This is a fantastic initiative being rolled out across Highland primary schools which brings innovation and inspiration to early years children.
Visitors will find it easier to dispose of their litter at several popular spots across Highland after the rollout of additional bins. The rollout has been planned to support the tourism season as part of the Council's ongoing commitment to improve and support sustainable tourism in the area.
Members of the meeting of The Highland Council (26 June 2025) have considered and agreed the Accounts Commission's Best Value report, which was published in April 2025 and highlights organisational improvements across leadership, performance management and community engagement. In April’s report, the Accounts Commission recognised and welcomed significant progress within the organisation since the 2020 Best Value Assurance Report (BVAR) and commended the embedded culture of transformation.
A new generation of community facilities is being planned for the Highlands. At a meeting of The Highland Council (Thursday 26 June), elected members approved the work to date in progressing the Highland Investment Plan workstreams - masterplan for Thurso and agreed to nominate the current Thurso High School site as the preferred location for the new Thurso Community Point of Delivery (POD).
At a meeting of The Highland Council (Thursday 26 June 2025), Members received a progress report on the partnership approach and important successes since declaring a Highland Housing Challenge in November 2023. Since establishing the ambitious Highland Housing Challenge, important successes included: A call for sites delivered 250 sites, with a potential 25,000 housing units which will support delivery against the target of an additional 12,000 houses over the next 10 years.
The Highland Council will deliver a transformative programme of energy efficiency upgrades across Council housing supported by a £9.2 million Energy Company Obligation (ECO) funding proposal secured by Union Technical. The funding proposal will deliver approximately 1,000 individual energy efficiency measures to Council owned properties across the Highlands.
As part of the Highland Council's celebration of Refugee Week - 16 to 22 June - we are delighted to announce that a sharing of photographs, taken by separated young people seeking asylum living within the Highlands, is to be shown at Eden Court Arts Centre, Inverness. Look to See, which ties in with the theme for this year’s Refugee Week - Community as a Superpower - emerges out of a collaboration between multiple agencies working alongside separated young people seeking asylum, embodying the importance of community and connection, when looking to support all young people in the Highlands.