We are winning the fight against crime in Inverness city centre, says top police officer
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Violent crime and drunk and disorderly behaviour have been cut in half since officers stepped up their presence last year in response to a number of high profile incidents. Between April and August the number of violent serious assaults fell from 22 to 13 when compared with the same period last year, while incidents of drunkenness and other disorderly behaviour plunged from 151 to 74.
Divisional Commander for the Highland and Islands, Chief Superintendent George MacDonald, said the “pretty impressive” turnaround shows officers are winning the fight against crime after the city centre policing team was increased from three to nine.
Elsewhere, there was a four per cent drop in less serious common assaults, down from 331 to 316, a seven per cent reduction in reports of breach of the peace, down from 320 to 299, and a 43 per cent drop in the number of people drinking alcohol in the street – down from 80 to 45.
Chief Supt MacDonald said the icing on the cake was that more people are being caught shoplifting.
The catch numbers rose from 216 last year to 306 this year – an increase of 41 per cent.
He believes this is down to better policing rather that a spike in shoplifting, and said overall the crime figures proved his decision to boost the city centre policing team has paid off.
He said: “From our perspective, we have seen significant positive feedback from the public, from the retailers and from councillors and others on the visibility and the accessibility of police officers; people can actually go and speak to them, and they can actually spot things, and that is having a positive impact on people’s confidence in the city centre.”
And he said the larger police presence will remain in place, adding that officers wanted to “demonstrate to the public that we are in for the long-term”.
The figures also make happy reading material for Mike Smith, manager of the Inverness Business Improvement District (Bid).
He said a stronger police presence deterred criminals and he echoed the Chief Superintendent’s insistence that crime had not shot up in other areas as a result.
Mr Smith said: “Those people who were causing problems are keeping away from the city centre now, or they are moving in smaller groups.
“Bid had been asking for a different approach from the police for a long time and we are all relieved and delighted that Chief Superintendent MacDonald took this under his reign. It was one of the first things that he did.”
But although she welcomed the figures, Linda Kirkland – who launched a scheme to bring about positive changes in the city centre – said that while the fall was “brilliant” news the number of people still being arrested for drunken behaviour suggested pubs and clubs were continuing to serve drunk people in breach of the law.
Ms Kirkland, who is a founding member of the Inverness City Centre Improvement Group, said: “OK, the number of people being picked up by police for being drunk and disorderly has come down by around 50 per cent to 74, but 74 is still a big number when you consider that happened between April and August.
“So what is the chief superintendent doing about the bars that are selling booze to people like that?
“The streets still don’t feel that safe at night.”
Chief Supt MacDonald insisted police were working hand-in-hand with pub owners to make the city centre a safer place.
And a spokesman for Inverness Pub Watch added: “The current experience in the last six months in Pub Watch is that there has a reduction in the number of referrals of antisocial behaviour in licensed premises.”
More than 30 licensed premises within Inverness city centre are members of the scheme.
