Fraud and sexual crimes on the rise as police give update on issues in the Highlands
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Fraud and crimes of a sexual nature are on the rise in the Highlands, the region’s top police officer has warned.
And drink and drug driving cases across the area have also seen a rise when compared year on year.
The statistics are outlined by Chief Superintendent Conrad Trickett, Divisional Commander for the N Division, in a report due to go before Highland Council members.
Det Ch Supt Trickett said: “The demands placed on the police have been unique and continue to be challenging.
“There is a general feeling in policing that demands overall have increased since coming out of Covid regulations.
“We have seen reductions in anti-social behaviour, disorder and violence along with many areas of acquisitive crime against the five year average; however fraud, particularly online, has significantly increased.”
The latest police performance report shows that fraud offences in the Highlands have increased by 65 per cent (204.4 more crimes) against the five year average and increased by 31.1 per cent (123 more crimes) against the previous year.
Overall, crimes of a sexual nature have seen a reduction of 4.2 per cent (24 fewer crimes) against the five year average but increased by four per cent (21 more crimes) against the last year to date.
Although overall road crime offences have dropped by seven per cent in the last year to date – 2021/2022 – certain offences are on the up.
In particular offences in relation to driving while disqualified have gone up. The number of cases increased by 56 per cent in the last year.
Drink and drug driving offences have also increased in recent years with 589 detected in 2021/2022 up from a five year average of 415.4.
Dangerous driving cases also rose by 35.
Both drug possession and supply saw a drop in cases on the previous year with high detection rates for both.
A total of 710 thefts were detected in the last year to date, up from 640 the previous year.
There were 123 more incidents of shoplifting detected – up to 519 cases in 2021/2022.
Meanwhile speeding offences were down 308 cases on the previous year.
Assaults were up to 1683 incidents, an increase of 134 cases.
The total assaults on emergency workers increased by 14 cases to 277 for the last year.
Det Ch Supt Trickett said: “Finally, assaults against officers continue to be at an unacceptable level. An assault against a police officer is an assault against society and should not be tolerated by any of us.”
