A drop in violence, vandalism and re-convictions of offenders has been recorded in Aberdeenshire in the last year.
The statistics are part of a recently published report by the Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership.
The partnership encourages organisations to work together and ensure local communities are involved in decisions on services in their area.
There was also a significant reduction in the proportion of residents worrying about antisocial behaviour, specifically drunkenness and underage drinking.
Chief Superintendent Mark McLaren, divisional commander for Aberdeenshire and Moray Division, said: “I’m encouraged by the reductions in vandalism and violence but we’re not complacent and our officers are building on these positive results in our continued efforts to keep our communities in Aberdeenshire Safe.
Some of the other highlights of the annual report include a reduction in women smoking during pregnancy.
Over the past year, mentoring and advice on smoking cessation was rolled out across all midwifery services in the area.
The percentage of school leavers in further or higher education, employment or training has increased and continues to be above the national average.
At the same time, there has also been a decrease in the percentage of the population aged 16-64 with no qualifications.
The report also highlights areas which need to be improved, such as the shortage of affordable homes.
Another issue the report focuses on is the number of hospital bed days lost to delayed discharges due to problems with recruiting and retaining care home staff, and a lack of spaces in council-run care homes.