Safer city as crime falls by nine per cent

POLICE chiefs today hailed a dramatic fall in the number of crimes reported in the Lothians during the last year.

Around 6500 fewer crimes were committed between April 2007 and March 2008, compared with the previous 12-month period.

The drop of nine per cent came as new police figures showed that offences involving violence, sex attacks, thefts, vandalism and drugs all decreased.

The statistics also offer a crime map of the Capital, with most council wards reporting a significant dip for the year.

Of the 15 wards in the report, only two saw an increase, with Drylaw/Inverleith and Leith Walk both climbing just one per cent.

Senior officers said the drop was evidence that the force's strategy of early intervention to prevent crime and the targeting of prolific offenders was working.

They believe their policy of intelligence-led policing is responsible for the drop, rather than a "statistical anomaly", and expect the trend to continue.

Across Edinburgh, the volume of crimes reported decreased by seven per cent from 48,290 to 45,092.

Councillor Iain Whyte, convener of the police board, said: "The police have been doing much more partnership working with the council and other agencies and that is having an impact.

"The force is concentrating its resources more to target particular places where crime has been a problem, as well as working closely with local communities.

"That has been particularly effective in the city centre and I am looking forward to that approach being rolled out across the city."

Last month, it was revealed that crime had dropped in the city centre in the last year from 12,831 offences to 11,686.

An increased presence in the area meant more antisocial behaviour was reported, but specialist teams set up to tackle serial thieves saw the number of thefts drop by more than 2500.

Councillor Paul Edie, chairman of the Community Safety Partnership, said: "This general fall in crime across Edinburgh is to be welcomed.

"A number of innovative initiatives have been rolled out during the past year, particularly in the city centre with relation to alcohol-related offending.

"The council's wardens are working closely with police and, along with the council-funded officers, we are now getting more bang for our buck. I'm particularly pleased about the reduction of 16 per cent in my ward area of Corstorphine. Although it is a low crime area, it will make residents feel even safer."

The force has increasingly focused on going after repeat offenders, including "career criminals" who specialise in shoplifting or housebreakings, and can be responsible for hundreds of offences.

They are also using analysts to identify trouble "hotspots" where extra resources can be deployed.

However, today's figures also revealed a slight decrease in the proportion of crimes being solved by police, with 42 per cent of the 70,748 crimes cleared up force-wide.

Police chiefs had predicted the improved results after figures for the first six months of the year showed that thousands fewer crimes were committed.

The Morningside/Southside ward recorded the biggest decrease in crime at 21 per cent, while Wester Hailes/Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart was next at 19 per cent.

Leith Walk was one of only two wards in the city which reported a rise in crime with 3085 offences for the last year, an increase of one per cent.

Local Labour councillor Angela Blacklock said: "The most notable crime in Leith Walk is the amount of vandalism which goes on.

"There is a lot of graffiti covering shops. I know it's something the police are working hard to put a stop to.

"To a certain extent Leith Walk is a victim of its own success. It's a very busy and popular area and that makes it a prime target for crime.

"If there are blindspots which could be made safer with CCTV then the council should look at that. It's a matter I'll raise with the Leith inspector at our next meeting."

In Midlothian and East Lothian, overall crime declined by 15 per cent during the period, while the fall was 11 per cent in West Lothian.

A police spokeswoman said: "Lothian and Borders Police are committed to cutting crime rates, and making our force area a safe place to live, work and visit.

"These figures are a reflection of the hard work being carried out to bring criminals to justice, and to demonstrate offending of any sort will not be tolerated.

"It is important to acknowledge, though, while we are pleased at a reduction in the number of crimes this year, we are not complacent, and proactively target all kinds of offending on a day-to-day basis.

"We are working successfully in partnership with a number of other agencies, as well as local communities, who act as our eyes and ears on the ground, often providing vital information in relation to offences.

"Criminals should be left in no doubt, our efforts will continue to yield positive results."

. . HOWEVER, HOUSEBREAKINGS BUCK THE TREND
HOUSEBREAKINGS are one of the few crimes in Edinburgh to rise significantly over the past year.

A total of 1639 break-ins to city homes were recorded between April last year and March against 1447 the year before.

Detectives are solving around 60 per cent of cases, but the break-in figure climbed by 13 per cent against the same period the year before, with an average of five per day.

However, that still represents a significant drop in housebreakings since 2005, when seven per day were recorded in Edinburgh alone.

A special squad was set up to target a hit-list of so-called "super burglars", identified as being responsible for the majority of city break-ins.

Police chiefs have also cited the imprisonment of serial burglars who target firms or homes as another possible factor behind the overall decline in incidents over recent years.

Although more homes are being hit, the number of businesses being targeted has fallen.

Last year, Chief Inspector Amanda McGrath was placed on secondment with the business community, based at the offices of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce at Festival Square.

Her appointment – thought to be the first of its kind in Scotland – aimed to boost security for businesses by providing advice and support.