SHERIFFS are attending football matches to get a first-hand look at pyro mayhem as top cops revealed footie disorder is spiralling out of control.
The move was revealed by a top cop who said the surge in hooligan behaviour is damaging the reputation of Scottish football.
DCC Jane Connors says policing football matches is becoming “increasingly challenging”.[/caption]
Smoke engulfs the stands as fans set of pyros during a Dundee v Celtic fixture[/caption]
Rangers fans ignite flares in the stands during December’s League Cup Final.[/caption]
Celtic fans set off smoke bombs during their December cup final clash with Rangers.[/caption]
Deputy Chief Constable Jane Connors told the Scottish Police Authority ultras who go to games armed with smoke bombs and flares are becoming “increasingly challenging”.
She said: “We are particularly working with the judiciary and we are very grateful for the number of sheriffs who have come out to football matches to actually see, hear and feel the disorder.
“And just how the fans react to different situations, cause that immersive understanding when things come to court and we are asking the judiciary to help means they are really able to bring their experience to bear.
“We have had eleven banning orders this year.”
DCC Conners was responding to a question from SPA member Tom Halpin who wanted to know more about how cops tackled the trouble on December 15, hours before the League Cup Final between Celtic and Rangers.
He said: “Scotland saw the running mobs in the city of Glasgow on the most important day of the year for Christmas shopping and that caused a lot of alarm.”
He also asked what is being done to deal with the growing use of pyros at games across the country.
DCC Connors said: “We know that policing football is increasingly challenging.
“There are increasing risk groups who are prevalent in a lot of the clubs particularly across Scotland.
“Fans do put on highly-organised displays, as we’ve seen, and they also do pre-arranged violence.
“They have no regard for their local community as we have seen from the scenes and they also have no regard for the reputation of football.
“And the supporters who go to football, the vast majority are not involved in trouble but simply enjoy going to football so they do damage the reputation of Scottish football.
“Their behaviour was completely unacceptable in December.”
We told how hundreds of masked yobs – some in Santa hats – were caught on camera in running battles through the city’s Argyle Street as horrified shoppers hid in doorways and shops to escape the carnage.
DCC Connors said efforts are ongoing to identify those involved but admitted it’s been hampered by difficulties in identifying the culprits.
She said: “There was a policing plan in place with both conventional, public order and specialist assets as well.
“The disorder took place four hours before the actual match was due to kick off.
“The people involved in it were wearing balaclavas to hide their identity and they also wore similar clothing in order to try and frustrate the post-match investigation and make it more complex.
“We do monitor the intelligence, we work with the football clubs as well as our own intelligence sources to gather information.
“And we were able to really quickly send resources to be able to bring the disorder under control.
“There have been five arrests and the investigation is ongoing.”
She went on to say multi-agency talks are ongoing with the clubs, football authorities, the Crown Office and Scottish Government through a national football disorder oversight group.
Issues being considered include the use of football banning orders and potential changes to legislation to see if it is “fit for purpose”.
And she warned of the cost implications for the force when cops are working longer shifts and moved from other areas of policing.
She added “All of that comes at a cost in terms of officer time for longer deployments or abstractions from community policing and other areas.”
