House parties and Covid rule breaking are on the rise police claim, as the top north-east officer warns of a steep rise in lockdown attacks on staff.
Scottish Police Federation general secretary Calum Steele said more complaints were being made against certain people who “have had enough” of the restrictions.
And last night, police assaults were described as a “direct attack on the community” by one city councillor.
It comes only days after The Press And Journal accompanied officers on raids of gatherings across Aberdeen.
Dozens were handed fines for breaking coronavirus restrictions in Seaton, Cove and the West End, which police described as a “huge strain on resources”.
Mr Steele yesterday told Holyrood’s Covid committee: “There is an increase in general non-compliance with those specific restrictions.
“Those examples of non-compliance are increasing among a relatively small proportion of the population who have just decided that they’ve had enough and they no longer intend to play by the rules.”
Scots can now report coronavirus breaches to police through online form
Mr Steele went on to say the population is struggling under “fatigue” from the restrictions, which on March 23 will have been in place in some form across the country for a year.
‘Considerable increase’ in Covid rule breaking
Last night Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham told The P&J officers had seen “a considerable increase” in the number of gatherings being reported in recent weeks.
He added: “Officers will not tolerate blatant disregard for the law and will not hesitate to use enforcement action where they encounter wilful or persistent breaches.”
Rise in assaults and hate crime on north-east police during lockdown
It comes as the north-east’s police commander, Chief Superintendent George Macdonald highlighted an “unacceptable” rise in assaults and hate crime targeted at his officers and staff in Aberdeen.
Senior officers have highlighted a 9.5% increase in police assaults in the north-east, compared to a 6.7% rise across Scotland.
Last year, Police Scotland made an assault pledge to ensure the safety of personnel, due to the growing national problem.
Nationally, 86% of assaults on staff and 13% on officers happen within a police premises, usually at custody centres.
Between April and September last year, more than a fifth of all hate crime victims in the city were police.
The hate crime wave peaked in July and tended to be “isolated and low-level” incidents, according to a new report.
Ahead of presenting the paper to councillors next week, Ch Supt Macdonald wrote: “Hate crime against police officers and staff generally forms part of a broader set of circumstances where persons have encountered the police.
“The figure of 22%, while unacceptable, may well indicate a decreasing tolerance amongst officers and staff to being subjected to this kind of behaviour and also increased confidence to report it.
“This may be due in part to the support being offered to them by North East Division.”
Liberal Democrat councillor Martin Greig, a former of the Grampian Police board, hit out at the thugs behind the rise in attacks, adding: “Our local police are so closely integrated into the life of the city and the north-east that an assault against them feels like a direct attack on the community.
“We all suffer when there is violence against a police officer or staff.
“The police work in highly pressurised conditions and are professionally trained to protect victims – so it is all the more worrying when they themselves become victims.”
