Article taken from Sunday Mail archives
TAXPAYERS FUND DRUG BOSS
Fury as murdering thug's firm is hired to patrol the streets in housing schemes

**Please note Springburn and Possilpark Housing Association is now known as North Glasgow Housing Association Ltd**
RUSSELL FINDLAY. Sunday Mail.  Glasgow (UK):  Oct 20, 2002
(Copyright Sunday Mail)

A SECURITY firm owned by drug-dealing gangsters is pocketing public cash to police the streets. M&M Security, run by the McGovern crime family, has won contracts from three housing associations.

A Sunday Mail investigation has discovered the firm was hired by Springburn and Possilpark Housing Association in north Glasgow. The association also pays M&M to guard its own new building. Company boss Paul McGovern, a convicted murderer, will receive more than pounds 4600 of taxpayers' cash from the publicly funded association, which is responsible for almost 3000 homes and investment of almost pounds 30million.

M&M has also landed work with Link Housing Association and Loretto Housing Association for patrols in Hillhouse in Hamilton and Petersburn in Airdrie. Police were not consulted by any of the housing associations. One senior police source said: "The first the police knew was when they came across these patrols. "It is a scandal that public money is used to recruit criminals to act as an unregulated cowboy police force.

"I don't think MSPs would be too happy if this bunch was patrolling the streets they live in."
The revelations come in the same week that residents in three housing estates were targeted by another security firm.

HomeGuard (Scotland) Ltd sent leaflets to Glasgow householders offering their protection services. Later, homes in South Park village, Darnley, were daubed in graffiti and cars sprayed with brake fluid. The firm is fronted by heroin dealer Craig Devlin. The man behind the scenes is feared south Glasgow criminal Stewart "Specky" Boyd.

Springburn and Possilpark Housing Association's new HQ was opened by local MSP Paul Martin, son of Michael Martin, Speaker of the Commons. The housing association - headed by Mercedes-driving Robert Tamburrini - paid M&M to look after the building site.

M&M got its name from the initials of partners Paul McGovern and fellow gangster George Madden. McGovern, the youngest of the five brothers, was jailed in 1990 for the murder of janitor Thomas Cushley. After being released from prison, McGovern's firm was hired to guard the site of the new Springburn Academy.

He pocketed public cash to guard the school, despite the fact it was where his victim used to pick up his wages.
The family have built up a formidable reputation and business through intimidation, shoplifting, money- lending, protection rackets and drug dealing.
Their empire includes a vast private- hire taxi network, security firm, various pubs, a garage, property and other "clean" ventures.

An angry resident said: "The SPHA has turned this criminal family into a pseudo police force. I don't want them patrolling my streets. "It's a great way to help build their drug network. Presumably they'll search you for drugs. If you don't have any, they'll offer to sell you some."

All housing associations in Scotland are regulated by Communities Scotland, formerly Scottish Homes, which receives pounds 226 million of public money. A Communities Scotland spokesman said: "We do not exercise direct control over the operational decisions on how they should spend their money on specific projects. "But, as part of the regulatory process, these landlords must meet certain standards about how they spend their money and how they manage it.


"They must ensure that they can demonstrate a need for a particular service and that they have consulted with residents and have gone through a proper process to procure services.
"These services should balance costs and benefits and the associations should employ reputable firms.

"We're not aware of any money which associations have set aside to employ private security firms. That is a matter for individual associations." A Strathclyde Police spokesman declined to say whether the force had been consulted by SPHA over the month-long M&M contract for 14-hour night patrols. Senior officers blame the Scottish Executive, which has set aside pounds 20million to create a network of community wardens, for giving the green light to rogue security firms to battle to control Scotland's streets.

In July, the Executive launched a pounds 1.3million pilot scheme to operate council-run wardens in Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Dundee. At the launch of the street warden scheme, approved by First Minister Jack McConnell, critics branded it "policing on the cheap". They predicted the "redcoat" wardens would become an easy target for ridicule and that local thugs would move in. A senior police officer said: "It was obvious the local thugs would want a piece of the action and then take over.

"During the Ice Cream Wars in the 1980s, criminals laundered drugs money and handled drugs and stolen goods using ice cream vans.
"That became saturated, so they moved into the private-hire taxi business and, more recently, sunbed salons and private security firms.

"When the council started these street wardens in Paisley, it was obvious the neds would take over."Now, the industry is feeling the pinch because there's so much competition.
"More companies will become involved and that's when the violence between companies begins." Scottish Police Federation Chairman Norrie Flowers said: "Some of the shadier characters who are involved don't really surprise me.

"If this is the Government's idea of modernising the police service, they've got it very wrong."There have always been security firms that deal with building sites, and that kind of thing, but this is moving into a new area."We're now looking at these people providing supposed security on the streets outside people's homes. "We have always said there is only one organisation that has no interest other than protecting the public, and that is the police."The security industry in Scotland is unregulated, and that is a problem."
Senior opposition politicians are alarmed.

Bill Aitken, the Conservative deputy justice spokesman, said: "It all comes down to the basic principle that there's not enough cops."If there were enough police officers, people would have nothing to do with these so-called security firms. "It is vital that legislation is introduced immediately in order to license these organisations."That at least exercises some form of control. That would ensure that there would be no requirement for private security of this type and people would not feel the need to employ these firms.

"There must be concern with regard to the type of operation being carried out while there may be a criminal association. I will be asking the appropriate Parliamentary questions."
SNP deputy leader and justice spokeswoman Roseanna Cunningham said: "If there is money in the coffers to pay for street wardens, then it should be going towards improving policing.
"People want to see more police on the streets, not private firms stepping into the gap and playing on people's fears. There is absolutely no doubt that the regulation of private security needs to be tightened up."People need to be able to find out exactly who they are. We should question whether some of these firms should be able to continue trading."