IT MIGHT still be the housebreaking capital of Scotland, but reported crime in Edinburgh is actually on the decline, it was revealed today.
A detailed study of offences over the space of five months has revealed 1,500 fewer crimes were recorded by police – a drop of 8 per cent.
And while housebreakings continue to soar – up 21 per cent between April and August this year – police chie
fs have hailed falls in robberies, car thefts and shoplifting.
Senior officers say the figures are a "testament to the pro-active approach" in tackling crime, though questions have been raised over whether an under-reporting of minor offences has also played a part.
Despite the city's falling crime rate, Midlothian, West Lothian and East Lothian have all recorded rises in offences during the five months.
While the debate continues, Edinburgh's community safety leader, Councillor Paul Edie, was happy to praise the police.
He said: "The police have been chipping away at crime over the years and that seems to be paying off. There is a lot of good partnerships working, with initiatives like the Neighbourhood Action Units. This is terrific news and the police have to be congratulated."
Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken MSP was also quick to praise officers, but sounded a note of caution.
He said: "This drop in reported crime is welcome news and reflects the fact that the 1,000 additional police officers, which the Conservatives forced through in the budget two years ago are starting to make an impact.
"We do, however, have to recognise that there is still a significant under-reporting of minor offences and a lot more work is necessary to overcome that."
In September, the Evening News revealed that the city had the highest break-in rate in Scotland, with residents more likely to fall victim here than anywhere else.
Senior officers have acknowledged that tackling housebreaking is a priority, and have set up dedicated hit squads to target serial thieves thought to be responsible for the majority of crimes.
Officers believe 80 per cent of housebreakers are subsidising addictions, while a small number of so-called "super burglars" are believed to be responsible for half the crimes.
While housebreaking is on the rise, today's figures show other thefts are on the decline. Overall, "crimes of dishonesty" have fallen from 10,640 to 9,770, with shoplifting and vehicle theft both down.
Vandalism cases, which have previously been cited by officers as a major factor in rises and falls in overall crime statistics, remained almost unchanged, showing a drop of 1 one per cent to 4,144.
Sex offences climbed by 10 per cent against the same period last year, with reports of rape rising from 39 to 48, and indecent assaults from 88 to 102.
A crackdown on drug-dealing in West Lothian and Midlothian, which has seen dozens of homes raided, has been cited as one of the reasons for a rise in reported crime in those areas.
In West Lothian, alleged dealers charged with supplying drugs shot up by 387 per cent between April and August, rising from 97 during the same period last year to 472, and contributing to the county's 13 per cent rise in overall crime.
In East Lothian, reported crime rose by 17 per cent, while the increase came in at 2 per cent in Midlothian.
Force-wide, today's figures showed further record levels of drugs seizures. Between April and September, 5,224 grams of heroin were recovered, along with 9,133 grams of cocaine, which brought the total value of Class A substances confiscated to nearly £750,000.
A police spokesman said: "We welcome the reduction in overall crime in Edinburgh, which is testament to the pro-active approach we take towards preventing crime and antisocial behaviour in the Capital.
"Rest assured that we will continue to build upon the good work that has been undertaken, by focusing on our prevention strategy and enhancing our relationships with key partners in local communities and the public and private sector.
"We remain committed to reducing the number of housebreakings that take place within Edinburgh, and we have dedicated teams in place to focus on reducing both domestic and business housebreakings through prevention, intelligence-gathering and targeted action."
