Crime in Inverness has returned to pre-pandemic levels, city councillors have been told.
A report of recent crime statistics compiled by Police Scotland was presented to councillors at the Inverness city committee on Monday.
The recent spate of accidents and deaths on the region’s roads dominated the start of Chief Inspector Judy Hill’s presentation.
She said the local force was facing an “unprecedented” number of fatal collisions, but paid tribute to the frontline staff involved in responding to these emergencies.
Elsewhere, there has been an increase in anti-social behaviour, violence and disorder and crimes affecting vulnerable people.
But on a more positive note, a recent operation to curb disorder over the festive period has been labelled a major success.
Road safety
Road safety remains a priority for Police Scotland across the country.
While considering the latest statistics, it’s important to remember that the Inverness area command covers more than just the city itself.
There were five deaths on roads in the area in the last year. Three people were killed in a single accident on the A9 at Slochd in July.
Chief Inspector Hill said: “I would like to acknowledge our division road policing team and local response team that dealt with these tragedies.
“I have nothing but admiration for the dedication and compassion these officers showed when dealing with these incidents.
“And I know the impact these crashes have not just on families, but on whole communities.”
20mph zone concerns
The rollout of 20mph zones across the Highlands was also discussed in Monday’s meeting.
There have been concerns that the zones won’t make a big enough difference unless they are patrolled by police.
Chief Inspector Hill said: “The reality is we cannot enforce every single street all of the time.
“It needs to be quite intelligence-led, we will look very closely at where the public are saying there’s a concern.
“We need to work with the council for those areas. Is it perception or is it a real issue?
“Our position will very much be that we need the road furniture, we need the right things to be in place to encourage drivers to reduce their speed.”
Number of people caught with weapons rises
Another area that was highlighted as a concern today was the number of people caught with a weapon or bladed instrument.
There were 126 people caught in 2022-23, compared to 74 in 2021-22.
The number is above the five-year and three-year averages of 68 and 73.3 respectively.
But the pandemic makes it difficult to assess how fair an increase this and other figures are.
Inverness Ness-side councillor Alasdair Christie said: “If you look at some of these, it’s a significant trajectory.
“But it may or may not be the case. Especially the weapons one, which stands out as a high increase.”
Festive success story
One recent success for the police in Inverness has been Operation Respect.
The campaign to reduce violence and disorder in the city ran between November 25 and December 31.
There was a strong focus on licensed premises checks.
This was achieved by officers being tasked to actively engage with staff to ensure that they are aware of their obligations.
Chief Inspector Hill said: “The effectiveness and efficient use of resources around this operation is something which we are looking to extend further across the calendar year.”
Conversation