Victims and Community Safety Minister, Siobhian Brown has welcomed a new strategy to help prevent violent crime and reduce the harm it causes.
The Violence Prevention Framework is the first co-ordinated strategy for Scotland to tackle the issue.
Ms Brown said: “We have made significant strides in reducing violence, and this new framework can take us further, ensuring that everyone plays their part in preventing violence wherever it persists.”
Find out more at bit.ly/ViolencePreventionFramework
Housebreaking in Edinburgh has continued to fall, despite COVID no longer significantly affecting reported crime.
Police Scotland has released its Q1 Management of Information data for the period of 1 April to 30 June, 2021, which shows that the total number of housebreaking incidents, including attempted break-ins has reduced from 504 to 343.
Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor said: “While restrictions relating to the pandemic continue to have an impact on the policing needs of our communities, the effect is different compared to the same period last year, when the first lockdown had only recently been introduced and the most stringent measures were in place.”
Last year we saw fewer houses being broken into as criminals looked targeted businesses and outbuildings instead. These crimes are now reducing whilst at the same time housebreakings to peoples’ homes have decreased by over 60% over the last 5 years.
Housebreaking remains a key priority for the division and all incidents are investigated by the Capital’s dedicated Housebreaking Team.
Nationally, overall reported crime has risen from last year, when the country first entered lockdown. This trend is mirrored in Edinburgh, where 187 additional crimes were recorded in comparison to the first quarter of 2020/21.
Across Scotland violent crime has also risen, but this is not reflected within Edinburgh, which has seen an overall fall in violent offences from 206 to 193.
This includes zero murders, compared to one last year, nine fewer serious assaults and 16 fewer incidents of robbery and assault with intent rob. This number also includes threats and extortion which account for over 15% of those offences.
The majority of these are attempts to extort money through online scams. These are often perpetrated overseas and establishing the nature and origin of the offending can be challenging. Tackling this kind of offending is recognised within the force strategic plan as cyber enabled crime increases the need for specialist skills and strengthened ties with other law enforcement agencies across the globe.
The division is also bucking the trend in terms of a rise in fatal road collisions, with one fewer of these tragic incidents being reported. Whilst there has been an increase in serious and slight injury collisions as we have moved out of lockdown these remain far below the injuries recorded before the pandemic and we are committed to driving them down further.
Edinburgh is consistent with the rest of the country in relation to an increase in sexual crime, with the division also experiencing a rise in overall sexual offences. The increases in sexual crime are lower than the national average and reflect a significant proportion of historical offences which are identified through officers building trust and confidence in victims and encouraging them to come forward with previously unreported crimes.
Chief Superintendent Sean Scott, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh, said: “Last year’s unprecedented circumstances saw the crime picture for both Edinburgh and Scotland being skewed.
“DCC Taylor has confirmed that we are seeing a continued rise in 999 calls as we keep moving towards a sense of normality and I echo her support for the officers and staff working in our C3 facilities.
“I am also grateful to my own officers and staff who continue to serve the city with distinction and professionalism in very trying times.
“My officers and I know that the public will recognise that last year was extraordinary. We met those challenges and delivered excellent results. This year as we return to some welcome normality it is pleasing to see that recorded crime remains below the 5 year average.
“We will continue to effectively target our time and resources to address emerging trends in this post pandemic year.”
Police Scotland has today issued its Qtr 2 Management Information data for the period of 1st April to 30th September 2020.
These figures show that the number of serious assaults fell from 181 to 128, while there were also 40 fewer robberies and assault with intent to rob, compared with the same time last year.
A proactive approach to tackling weapons offences within the Capital has seen a rise in the number of these crimes recorded.
In total, 13 more offences for carrying an offensive weapon were recorded, however, the number of crimes for handling a knife fell from 95 to 77.
Overall, offences involving offensive or bladed weapons rose from 387 to 411 and more crimes were detected, up from 323 to 339 year-on-year.
Similar to the rest of the country, fraud has increased within Edinburgh. In total, 837 fraud offences were recorded during the six-month period, compared with 700 in the same timeframe the previous year.
There have also been increases in the number of crimes for taking and distributing indecent images of children, as well as the threatening to, or disclosure of intimate images.
A further 16 crimes for indecent images of children were recorded, while five more crimes for threatening to or disclosing of intimate images were also recorded.
Continued and targeted monitoring of Edinburgh’s road network has seen drink and drug driving offences increase, with 251 offences in the first six months of 2020/21, compared with 190 the year before.
There have been two occasions where there has been a fatality during a road collisions, which is the same as last year. However, serious and slight injury collisions have both fallen within the Capital.
Chief Superintendent Sean Scott, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh, said: “Following the last quarter data, we are beginning to see crime levels return to normal levels. However, we remain committed to keeping our communities safe and bringing offenders to justice.
“While I am pleased to see the benefits of our proactive approach towards weapons, and of course, the fall in violent offences, it is always disheartening to see a rise in drink driving offences. It is never acceptable to get behind the wheel if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs and we will continue to target motorists who do so.
“Rises in online crimes are consistent across the country and continue to bring new challenges to policing.
“However, as DCC Fiona Taylor set out today, our cyber strategy provides clear direction as to how we aim to tackle the threat, risk and harm of digitally-enabled crime.”
