Crime cut as Tayside ned culture targeted

Tayside Police have reduced crime rates by ruthlessly targeting antisocial behaviour, the region’s outgoing police chief said yesterday.

John Vine was announcing crime in the region has fallen 8% in the past year.

Figures out yesterday show offences recorded in Tayside in the year to March 2008 dropped to 26,904, from 29,245 the previous year.

Drug crime also fell, from 3,124 to 2,547. And there was a 17% reduction in the number of drug possession offences, according to the chief constable’s annual report.

The police chief, due to take up a role as chief inspector of the UK Border Agency, has seen a 30% reduction in crimes of violence. Crimes of dishonesty, such as housebreaking and car crime, have been cut by almost 40% during his eight-year tenure. Crimes of indecency have dropped by 15% since he took the helm, while vehicle crime has fallen by 66%.

Mr Vine said the biggest concern for local people was antisocial behaviour. He said: “Their concerns are our priorities and that is why we have an unrelenting focus on those issues which have a deleterious affect on our cities, towns and villages.

‘‘Tayside Police is extremely active in trying to prevent crime and antisocial behaviour. Much is achieved through everyday operational policing and by maximising the numbers of officers we have on patrol.

“But a great deal is also done by way of operations, initiatives and partnership projects, many of which are highlighted in my annual report. ‘Preventing crime has always been a key priority for Tayside Police. Ultimately, we want to see fewer victims of crime and that means fewer people dealing with the physical, emotional, social and economic problems that come with victimisation.”

Mr Vine said the root causes of crime such as alcohol, drugs and deprivation must be addressed, with earlier intervention to help those at greatest risk of falling into offending. According to the report overall crimes of violence, including murder, serious assault and child cruelty fell from 662 to 608. But cases of murder increased from four to six.

Indecency offences fell 16%, from 482 to 405 but the number of indecent assaults rose from 125 to 128. There were 13,303 crimes of dishonesty compared with 13,795 last year, a drop of 4%.

There was a 7% cut in the number of crimes of vandalism and malicious damage, a drop of 520 from 7,324 the previous year. Fireraising offences fell from 260 to 236.

The number of road collisions increased from 1,497 to 1,518, although the number of people killed on Tayside roads dropped from 34 to 29. But pedestrian deaths rose from five to nine.