Agenda item

(i)            Update on Service and Operational Matters.

(ii)           Performance Report.  (Copy attached.)

Superintendent Vincent Fisher

2.            Progress Reports/Updates on Service Matters - Police Scotland

    2.1        There had been circulated copies of a report by the Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Catriona Paton for Quarter 4 – 2021/22. 

    2.2       Chief Inspector Vincent Fisher presented the Quarter 4 Police Scotland Report and explained that the return to normality, post pandemic, had continued throughout quarter four, although it had been a difficult start with the hangover of the Omicron variant.  While that had abated for the time being, there was a new challenge in the form of the ‘McLeod Remedy.’  The recent press articles, in which the Chief Constable described the impact of Police pension changes that allowed officers who were over the age of fifty and had 25 years’ service or more to retire sooner than they might have otherwise done were highlighted.  The numbers retiring from policing were higher than normal year on year averages, the implications of which continued to be assessed by the organisation on an ongoing basis.   Supporting frontline policing (in all its forms) and ensuring those who required police assistance receive, not just a response, but a quality service, was, and always would be, the priority. As a single national service, Police Scotland were able to identify resources and manage recruitment to provide support and stability where it was needed most.  Likewise, local resources were managed on a daily basis, to ensure that the demands of local communities were being met, although maybe not always expectations. The Chief Constable had undertaken to recruit around 300 new recruits each quarter in the year ahead to support the return to overall policing numbers and the Borders would receive a share.  This would build on the work already done more locally in recent years to target recruitment specifically at those already living in the Borders, which  improved staff retention and reduced the likelihood of officers moving to other divisions, or areas of the division  as soon as their probationary period ended.  Notwithstanding, it may take some time to build back full strength and therefore locally there would be ongoing assessment of what was needed most and how the police could work with partners and communities to achieve the best possible outcomes and keep the people, places and communities within the Scottish Borders safe.  

  2.3     Chief Inspector Vincent Fisher went on to report on the impact Covid had had on year-on-year comparisons, or even five year averages, rendering such comparisons fairly meaningless. ASB for instance rocketed during the pandemic as households reported other households for breaches of restrictions. Road traffic collisions on the other hand absolutely plummeted as traffic on roads all but dried up. These events skewed performance figures, and it would be unfair to make comparisons between any pre-covid, covid and post covid years. 

2.4       In terms of under reported crime, it had been regarded that a number of types of criminal behaviour were underreported and great efforts had been made to encourage more victims to report particularly domestic crime, sexual crime and hate crime. The establishment of third party reporting mechanisms had also assisted in encouraging more victim’s to come forward and report concerns to the police. This could be seen, not only in the numbers of crimes now being reported, but also in the types of behaviours being reported; people report matters now that they simply wouldn’t have 20 years ago, and this was encouraging. The result of this, was that there may be a misconception that offending behaviour was changing dramatically when in fact it was more to do with victims' increased willingness to report.  It was also important to recognise that a proportion of crime, particularly sexual and domestic crimes were non-recent, and although committed sometimes decades ago, they featured in the more recent performance figures.

2.5       Other misconceptions centred around the term ‘Violent Crime’ which conjured up images of weapons, fists, cuts and bruises. Group 1 Crime, or violent crime, included the Domestic Abuse Scotland Act offence of coercive and controlling behaviour, which recognised the psychological harm of domestic offending, not just the harm caused by assaults and other forms of physical violence.  This crime didn’t exist prior to 2019, and it’s made its mark on our Group 1 figures since, with approximately 1700 such offences recorded last year across the country.  It was expected, as the public become more aware of the legislation, that Police Scotland would receive more and more reports of this type of behaviour.  Also included within Group 1 crime was extortion, or as was more often the case nowadays, ‘Sextorsion’, where victims were befriended by strangers online, encouraged to share intimate images of themselves before being held to ransom over their publication for friends and family to see. This offence required no physical contact, and was the case too for a growing number of Group 2, or sexual crimes, that were committed online and involved no direct contact with the complainer.

2.6       It was important to understand too, that at any given time, a high proportion of work was  in progress and crimes where enquiries were ongoing, and although recorded as unsolved meantime, would in the fullness of time, be returned as a detection. This was particularly true of any enquiry with a forensic element to it. The lead times for laboratory analysis, particularly around drugs offences and blood work in relation to drink and drug driving could be lengthy. These crimes sit as unsolved, although once the lab work was done, there was a high chance of solving these crimes and this was particularly evident in the drugs cultivation and supply charges. The detection rate was sitting at 81.25%, when in reality, this number should be sitting nearer 100%.  Missing persons were up slightly on last year, but again that was Covid related, but overall, since 2017, there was still a decline. There was progress in terms of implementing missing person protocols, all of which were designed to reduce the risk of persons going missing in the first place, or if they do, speed up the process of tracing and returning them.

2.7       As detailed in the report, domestic incidents were up, as were detections, as were bail offences; the latter significantly. Bail offences were a measure of our proactivity and every offence was an opportunity to lock up offenders and ensure victims’ safety.  In terms of Hate Crimes, as a result of a greater willingness among the public to report such incidents, there was an increase year on year and against the five year average, while detections had dipped. The deputy area commander maintained oversight and responsibility for all reported hate crime and each incident received a high degree of scrutiny before the enquiry was eventually closed as solved or otherwise. The high proportion of incidents where Police Officers were the victim should be noted.

2.8       Reported sexual crimes continued to increase in the Scottish Borders, as they do elsewhere in the country; that rise mostly fuelled by online offending (covered by ‘Other Group 2’) and again that increased confidence to report.  It should be noted that a proportion were non-recent and a proportion were domestic related, about 22%. Most of these crimes were committed in private spaces, which brings its own complications, and often there was a forensic component to the enquiry, which could increase enquiry times.

2.9       In terms of Drug Cultivation and supply, the CAT teams were responsible for the lion’s share of these detections, and successes in earlier quarters had led to disruption and a recent dip in drug supply activity.  There was good public support and the intelligence received continued to be triaged to ensure that those likely to cause most harm to our communities were targeted.  Anti-social behaviour was down overall as was fire raising although vandalism and breaches of the peace were showing a slight increase.  Overall, acquisitive crime was down slightly on the five year average, although there was a significant rise in on-line fraud.  There was also a rise, albeit far less significant, in opening lock fast places (not motor vehicles) and attempted theft of motor vehicles.  Overall housebreakings were down and detection rates were pretty respectable, especially compared to some other forces in England and Wales.  Of particular concern was the rise in high value pedal cycle thefts and there had been significant thefts in recent weeks from teams competing in world cycling events in Fort William and more locally in Innerleithen. This was a national issue and crimes committed by travelling, organised crime groups who follow the events and competitors, made easier by social media and tracking apps.  Crime prevention messaging continued through various cycling organisations and event organisers and work with colleagues in other parts of the country to share intelligence and piece together evidence left at various crime scenes to improve the chances of identifying and apprehending perpetrators. 

2.10     As highlighted previously, traffic volumes had returned to pre-pandemic levels and so had casualty numbers. There had been eight deaths on Borders roads in the last twelve months, with varying causation factors and at a variety of locations.  In terms of tackling serious and organised crime SOCGs most definitely operated in the Borders and police Scotland had some significant results in terms of disrupting them in the last twelve months.  Working closely with colleagues in other parts of the country, particularly the forces in the north of England, where many of the most prolific SOCGs were based and with other partner agencies; SW, Health, Education, Housing etc. to help them spot the early signs of SOCG infiltration and exploitation, often referred to as cuckooing.   The figures in the complaints section were self-explanatory and the 7.5% drop in overall complaints was to be welcomed, although the rise in complaints of assault was obviously of concern. Every complaint was investigated thoroughly and where there was evidence of wrong-doing, officers or staff were held to account.

2.11     In response to a question regarding the increase of rural crime, Chief Inspector Fisher advised that there was a good flow of information at a National level and could see patterns emerging.  The crimes were being committed by highly organised travelling criminals using drones to identify locations and locate equipment.    Lots of the investigative work involved was not visible in nature and that where there was scope for a follow up visit with victims one would be undertaken.  Regarding the locations in which sexual assaults occurred, the Chief Inspector explained that investigations did not indicate any particular hotspots for that sort of crime. Incidents were constantly analysed to detect patterns or trends to proactively police areas where offences occurred. With specific reference to the “black path” in Galashiels, a walk through was planned with the Community Council in response to a recent incident in order to assess what could be done to improve the environment and make the public feel safer. In response to a question regarding the effectiveness of CCTV in the Scottish Borders given the prevalence of the use of face masks in response to Covid, Chief Inspector Fisher explained that discussions were ongoing at Governmental level to ascertain whether CCTV represented good value for money. The popularity of private devices using CCTV, dash cams, doorbells etc., represented a useful resource when beginning an investigation and would normally be harvested by the CCTV co-ordinator.

DECISION

AGREED to note the Report.