A north-east police chief has vowed to make the region a “hostile environment” for organised criminal gangs preying on the “most vulnerable”.
Chief Superintendent of Police Scotland’s north-east division, Campbell Thomson, highlighted how the force was stepping up its fight against criminals from south of the border.
He briefed councillors from Aberdeenshire Council’s policy and resources committees yesterday on the latest police performance figures for the region.
And Ch Supt Thomson confirmed the force was still tackling the “challenge” of acquisitive crime, following a string of car and motorcycles thefts across the area in recent times.
The statistics covered the period from April to October 2016, compared with the same period in 2015. The figures showed housebreakings went up to 263 incidents within this time scale, compared to 253 in the same period in 2015 – with detection rates also rising.
Motor vehicle crime – which includes breaking into, stealing from and thefts of vehicles – has dropped from 274 incidents to 237 – with detection also rising.
Common theft has fallen from 532 incidents to 483, but “crimes of dishonesty” have risen from 1,673 to 1,734 incidents.
Serious assaults went up from 55 incidents to 65, with 96.9% detected; with robberies rising from 19 to 29 cases.
There were 75 recorded drug supply offences compared to 81 in the same period in 2015; but 376 drug possession offences were recorded, in comparison with 302 the year before.
However, in studying the five-year average, the latest figures showed a 27% decline in vehicle crimes, a 32.3% reduction in common thefts, a 12% decrease in crimes of dishonesty and 18% reduction in housebreakings.
Ch Supt Thomson said the force was continuing to tackle serious organised crime and drug offences in “both the north and the south” of Aberdeenshire.
He added that work was continuing to tackle “predominately Englishbased crime gangs” in the north-east and ensure the area “remains a hostile environment for them to operate”.
Ch Supt Thomson declared the gangs were continuing to “prey on the most vulnerable people in our communities”.
He added: “I think, in general terms, you’ll see it as a positive report. Acquisitive crime continues to be an area of challenge as does violence.
“With acquisitive crime, I think what you will see is a real improvement in detection rates. 41% is the overall detection rate which has improved and continues to improve.
“In relation to violence and disorder in some of the high-level figures, serious assaults are up by 10, but assaults on a five-year period have been on a general downward trend. Detection rates are almost 100%.”