Highlands police chief says current level of demand on force is 'unique and challenging'

Police chiefs have told Highland councillors that their officers are delivering results under enormous pressure.

Divisional Commander Conrad Trickett said demand has increased coming out of Covid, putting a 'personal and organisational strain' on policing.

At the same time, officers’ safety is a big concern.

“Police are still getting assaulted on a daily and a weekly basis,” said Mr Trickett.

He highlighted one incident where an officer in Fort William was assaulted on Christmas Eve, resulting in a fractured cheekbone.

“An assault on a police officer is an assault on society, and I ask for your support on this matter,” he said.

Mr Trickett made the remarks as part of a regular police performance report at Highland Council’s communities and place committee at Inverness headquarters yesterday.

The lengthy report provides the latest figures on key crimes, comparing these to five-year trends.

Mr Trickett advised caution when looking at the data, suggesting that the pandemic could partially skew some results.

However, there was some positive news. Road crime overall is down 24.6 per cent against the five year average, with 2099 fewer offences.

The data also shows significant drops in antisocial behaviour and drug dealing.

There are some worrying trends within that, though.

Mr Trickett is particularly concerned about crimes against vulnerable people. Domestic violence rates are not coming down as much as the police would like, with just a 0.7 per cent reduction in five years.

Meanwhile, this year saw 21 more incidents of sexual crime compared to last year, though there was a slight reduction in five years.

And while acquisitive crime – including break-ins and robberies – is down 12.4 per cent, fraud has 'rocketed' in the same time period.

Compared to last year, there were 31 per cent more incidents of fraud, while the five year trend shows a huge 65 per cent increase.

Mr Trickett warned that scammers are also getting 'more sophisticated' in their approach.

Overall, it was a sobering message from Mr Trickett. His report says that while drug supply is down 35.8 per cent in five years, county lines dealing continues to be a big problem.

As the main form of serious crime in the Highlands, the police are putting in more resources to tackling it.

Mr Trickett said the police are working hard to 'identify the vulnerable young people caught up in this awful practice'.

However, he said the current level of demand on police is 'unique and challenging' and appealed for public support.

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