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Crime stats in the Highlands fall again, police figures reveal – but impact of coronavirus pandemic still being assessed


By Philip Murray

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Chief Supt Conrad Trickett. Picture: James Mackenzie
Chief Supt Conrad Trickett. Picture: James Mackenzie

THE long-lasting effects of the Covid pandemic lockdown on crime and policing needs across the Highlands "will still take time to be fully realised", the region's chief officer believes.

Divisional Commander, Ch Spt Conrad Trickett was speaking after the latest crime statistics for the pandemic were released – showing a slight fall in the number of recorded crimes during the first quarter of the 2021/22 year.

He said that this "continued the trend" of the Highlands being one of the safest places to live in Scotland, with the number of crimes down compared to the same point last year.

But the added: “The pandemic has changed the policing needs of our communities and despite recording reductions in recorded crime, we are not complacent and acknowledge that domestic abuse and sexual crimes remain under-reported.

"We acknowledge that the home is not always a safe place for everyone and we continue to work alongside our colleagues in national specialist units and our partners to detect cases of domestic abuse, violence, sexual crimes and provide support to victims and their families.

“Local policing continues to be supported by specialist and national teams who are delivering a service to our local communities. This can be seen in the work road policing officers are delivering to improve road safety by carrying out operational activity to tackle inappropriate speeds on our roads as well as drink and drug driving.

"We are also seeing results locally thanks to the work conducted by teams such as the National Child Abuse Unit, the Domestic Abuse Task Force and the Major Investigations Team.

“We also continue to focus on tackling the harm of controlled drugs and have conducted a number of operations to target the supply of drugs in our communities. Enforcement alone is not the answer and we are working closely with our partners to signpost vulnerable people towards support services.

“The pandemic has been unprecedented for us all, however the officers and staff working across the Highland and Islands Division have been steadfast in their dedication to keeping communities safe. I want to thank them for their efforts over what has been a challenging period.”

The latest performance report was presented at the Scottish Police Authority Policing Performance Committee.




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