Highland police hit pubs and clubs; drink-drive figures plummet
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THE HEAD of police in the Highlands claims new style of “predictive policing” is making the Tom Cruise movie Minority Report a reality.
Chief Superintendent Julian Innes said a rise in uniformed police visits to pubs cut the number of drink drivers.
He said the figures show police in the north were preventing crime before it even happened, like Stephen Spielberg’s science fiction film.
“Last year in Highlands and Islands we did over 1,700 licensed premises checks and the figures show the more pubs and clubs that we were in the less drink drivers that we caught,” he said.
The apparent link came to light after Highland councillors questioned why police reports indicated a reduction in drink driving offences.
Police officers were stopping more cars than ever before, more people were being reported for dangerous driving and for not wearing seat belts or driving while using their phones. And more police were working in roads policing. But fewer motorists were being caught drunk behind the wheel.
The figures show 778 drink drivers were stopped by police in 2009. The numbers tumbled year on year to 440 by 2013.
The number of licensed premises checks by uniformed police rose from 10,065 in 2009 to 17,490 in 2013.
Chief Spt Innes said: “I believe that’s a by-product of us trying to reduce street violence. One of the unintended consequences is a reduction in drink driving.”
It comes on the back of performance statistics that reveal crime is falling in the Police Scotland Highlands and Islands Division.
It went down in the last year by 16.2 per cent against the previous year.
This equates to 1,841 fewer people becoming victims of crime.
The detection rate for crimes of violence and dishonesty, is 64.3 per cent, and within these classes the most notable reduction is violent crime which has fallen by 36.9 per cent.
Crimes of dishonesty, which includes common theft, shoplifting, housebreaking and vehicle-related theft, showed a decrease of 3.7 per cent.
Figures also show a drop in those seriously injured in road traffic collisions which decreased by 13 per cent.
Chief Spt Innes said: “Some people are really surprised about how crime is falling this year. But what we have done is put considerable effort into listening to the local community and identifying where the issues are and really trying to be there to prevent the crime before it happens. And after five years, we’re starting to see the benefits.”
