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Moray hailed as one of Scottish safest areas as crime rates fall to new low

Campbell Thomson outside the divisional headquarters.  
Picture by Kami Thomson
Campbell Thomson outside the divisional headquarters. Picture by Kami Thomson

Police maintain Moray is one of the safest areas to live in Scotland with crime figures falling to an “all-time low”.

The latest biannual performance figures for April to September have revealed a drop in the number of serious crimes compared to the same period in 2014.

Local senior officers said they were greatly encouraged by road safety figures in particular, with the number of people seriously or fatally injured on Moray roads down by 32%.

Driver safety has been specifically targeted by officers through Operation Cedar.

Housebreakings are also down 17% — with detection rates up by 17% — while common thefts have fallen by 18%.

Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent, Campbell Thomson, said his officers will continue to work hard to bring down crime in communities.

But he said there was never any room for complacency.

“Housebreakings have a significant impact on individuals and so it is important for everyone to work together to prevent such criminality by making it difficult for thieves, by taking simple preventative steps,” he said.

“We will continue to work hard to prevent crime in communities by promoting such crime reduction messages.

“I am also pleased that the number of people killed or seriously injured has reduced during this period, however, we must never be complacent.

“I would take this opportunity to remind drivers that with the winter period now upon us to ensure that their vehicle is ready for winter and to always drive appropriately to the road and weather conditions.”

Vandalism is the one crime that continues to blight local communities however, with offences up by about 32%.

To combat this, police launched Operation Regard in October.

Mr Thomson said this particular statistic was “very disappointing”.

He said: “Vandalism is a crime that has such a negative impact on communities.

“Officers throughout Moray will continue to focus on investigating and detecting incidents of vandalism, and I would urge anyone who witnesses such crimes or knows those who commit such acts to call police or the charity Crimestoppers anonymously.”

Chief Inspector Willie Findlay, the current area commander for Moray, retires this weekend after 30 years of service.

As of Monday his replacement, Chief Inspector Stewart Mackie, will be tasked with safeguarding residents and visitors in the region.

Mr Thomson added: “Overall, I am pleased with the performance of staff within Moray over the reporting period. Chief Inspector Findlay and his team have done very positive work over the last few years in tackling local issues and indeed, as of March 31 this year, Moray has seen crime levels at an all-time low.”