Highland police commander thanks local communities for their help in prioritising regional issues

The divisional commander for Highlands and Islands Police has thanked local communities for their ongoing support in helping officers to prioritise what matters to the region most.

The quarter 1 performance report for 2022-23 – published today – highlighted the latest quarterly crime figures for the division, revealing a slight rise in recorded crime compared to the same period the previous year when the country was easing out of Covid restrictions.

The report also revealed an increase in the overall detection rate (more than 2 per cent), with 415 detections relating to drug crime thanks to ongoing operations to remove illegal substances from our communities.

It also demonstrated a reduction in serious assaults, and a 9 per cent rise in the detection rate for group 3 crimes, such as house-breakings and theft.

Divisional commander, chief superintendent Conrad Trickett said: "According to the latest quarterly figures, the Highlands & Islands continues to record one of the lowest crime rates per head of population in Scotland. However, a comment like that is hard to say and will be difficult to hear when we reflect on the tragedy that occurred in Skye and Lochalsh a few weeks ago.

"This was an extremely rare incident which shocked the country and my thoughts continue to be with all those affected. Detectives from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team led the investigation, while our officers are still working closely with the local community to provide reassurance and support.

"While statistics are not reflective of the vast amount of important and preventative work ongoing in our communities to keep people safe, the Q1 figures serve as a useful tool to shape our local policing plans moving forward.

"It is absolutely vital that we continue to work closely with the diverse communities that exist across the Highlands and Islands so that we can understand your views and priorities - we want to know what we’re getting right, and what we can do better."

Nationally, crime continues to evolve with another increase in fraud offences, up 8.1 per cent on the previous year and up 59 per cent on the five-year mean. Around 90–95 per cent of frauds have an online aspect and officers are taking action to protect people from digital harm and crimes in the virtual world through Police Scotland’s Policing in a Digital World programme.

Chief superintendent Trickett added: “Policing is relentless and always evolving. The effects of the pandemic will continue to be felt for some time and we will now face new challenges, such as the current cost of living crisis, that will undoubtedly be reflected in recorded crimes going forward.

“We continue to gather data on public confidence through our "Your Police" survey to enable the public to highlight areas of local concern, good practice and inform our approach to working with partners. I would encourage everyone in our communities to influence local policing by completing the survey.”

Thousands of people have responded to the ‘Your Police’ survey already, an opportunity to help inform policing in your local area. The survey can be found by clicking here and it takes less than 10 minutes to complete - https://consult.scotland.police.uk/strategy-insight-and-innovation/your-police-2022-2023/