Express & Star Comment: Get tough with these criminals
Criminal gangs pose a very real and dangerous threat to our society.
Whether they be drug pushers, slave masters, or tax scammers – they destroy lives and heap misery on innocent people.
Despite the financial pressures felt by all corners of the public sector, it is encouraging to see the success of Staffordshire Police in tackling gangs.
This year alone they have seen at least 50 people jailed for roles in organised crime networks across a string of separate gangs.
This is a triumph and detectives in the force deserve to be commended for these terrific results.
Our streets will be a safer place with them locked up behind bars.
Drugs continue to be the ultimate scourge in society.
And those who profit from the destructive nature of these substances should be locked up with the key thrown away.
Career criminals are opportunists and will exploit any opportunity they can to make cash.
That is why it is so important to disrupt and dismantle these groups.
It is also right that officers pursue the 'Mr Big' figures behind these shady organisations.
Arresting and locking up henchmen or minions is a fruitless exercise.
Ultimately we need to be chasing the people who pull the strings.
Often police are reluctant to talk about this side of their work.
But it is vitally important that gangsters know that the full force of the law is on their tail.
These investigations are lengthy, complex, and can be legally challenging. They are also costly.
That's why Staffordshire Police's Major Crime Department should be congratulated for their skill at delivering so many convictions this year.
Organised crime groups inflict havoc and heartache on people's lives every single day of the year.
Whether it is scamming a vulnerable pensioner, extorting money, or drowning people in drugs, they must be stopped.
They have no consideration for the people they harm. And we should have no consideration for their so-called 'human rights'.
The police have done their part, it is now over to judges to ensure that punitive measures are taken.
Lengthy prison sentences send out a strong and robust message and, crucially, get these evil people off our streets.
The police must use or their expertise to ensure that criminal empires come crashing down and can never be rebuilt.
