Na Pfrc Q3 2024_25
North Ayrshire Council · 3 March 2025
Back to Police and Fire and Rescue Committee — 3 March 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Page 1
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 1 North Ayrshire Performance Summary Report - Q3 2024/25 Reporting Period: 01/04/2024 - 31/12/2024 Total Crime 9,157 Crimes (note: issues with tickets) 2.8% Incidents Recorded 29,395 0.4%* 9.4% 1,309 Violence/Homicide Drug Supply 30.0% 72 Sexual Crime 4.7% 250 21.1%~ 123 Hate Crime ASB 5,025 Domestic Abuse 6.7%~ 839 Acquisitive Crime 0.8% 1,928 Robbery -14.8% 23 Speeding N/A N/A Drink/Drug Driving 39.1% 222 Note: All percentage figures are based on the 5-year average with all data based on Management Information which may be subject to change. *3-yr Average provided -7.5% Serious Injury & Fatal Accidents^ 24/2 -38.5%/-33.3% ^ Change from PYTD 5 year average not available ~Domestic Abuse and Hate Crime were previously counted on VPD, now on UNIFI therefore 5-yr average is an indication only Due to system issues on PENTIP all RP tick- ets from 27th March 2024 are currently not available
Page 2
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 2 Introduction This document has been compiled to look at the quarterly data available for North Ayrshire. The report is based on the areas of focus identified within the Local Policing Plan agreed with the Local Authority. The ‘Plan on a Page’ document is available on Page 3, this provides details of the areas Police Scotland have agreed to report on. The following list of contents provides an overview of the items included in this report: TOPIC SECTION PAGE Local Policing Plan Plan on a Page 3 Serious Crime Violence/Homicide Drug Supply Robbery 4 5 6 Violence Against Women and Girls Domestic Abuse Rape & Sexual Assault 7 8 Safer Communities ASB Hate Crimes Acquisitive Crime 9 10 11 Road Safety Drink/Drug Driving and Serious Injury & Fatal Accidents 12 Public Confidence User Satisfaction Survey Complaints 101 Performance Taser Use 13 14 15 16 Glossary of Terms 17
Page 3
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 3
Page 4
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 4 SERIOUS CRIME—Violence/Homicide Local Action/Context: Q3 of the 2024/25 Financial Year continues to record an increase in Violent Crime across North Ayrshire. Violent crime has decreased by 0.2% on last year but increased 11.8% on the 5-year average. This increase is primarily due to the number of Common Assaults on Emergency workers and members of the public. Serious Assaults are currently showing a higher figure than last year but lower than the 5-year average. Total Common Assaults decreased by 1.0% on last year and increased 9.6% on the 5-year average. This has generally been an increasing crime type in recent years with this year showing a slight drop in figures. Common Assault of Emergency Worker (including Police) show a 6.6% increase on last year and a 15.7% increase on the 5-year average. There has been six Attempt Murders this year which are all detected. The 5 murders include two Culpable Homicide crimes, both of which relate to a fatal road collision; all murders/culpable homicides are detected. With regards to serious assaults during this quarter 20 crimes have been recorded, 18 of those detected With 2 live investigations. The crimes were spread throughout North Ayrshire having taken place in both public and private space. 4 of the crimes are related to 2 incidents while the rest are unrelated. During this reporting period there were two attempted murders in North Ayrshire, one detected and one subject of a live enquiry. There was one detected murder within the current period which occurred in Kilwinning where local policing was supported by the Major Investigation Team. All significant crimes of violence are subject of close scrutiny and managed by the Criminal Investigation Department supported by Priority Policing and Locality teams. Source: Taken from Management Information systems
Page 5
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 5 SERIOUS CRIME—Drug Supply Local Action/Context: Q3 shows an increasing trend in terms of Drug Supply charges in North Ayrshire on both last year and the 5-year average. Cannabis Cultivations have noted a marked decrease with just 13 being identified so far this year. Possession charges have noted a marked increase this year but the amounts being found are insufficient to justify a supply charge. Proactivity remains the main focus and means by which these charges are obtained. Engagement with the local residents and Community groups across Ayrshire continues to provide intelligence information which can be developed to ensure we are focusing resources and action plans in the right areas at the right time. Officers across North Ayrshire, including specialist resources continue to proactively tackle drug supply by targeting individuals and groups involved in the sale and supply of controlled drugs and are cognisant of the harm and impact that it perpetuates across our towns and villages. This focus is reflected in the increased number of drug supply charges libelled. We remain proactive in relation to information and intelligence regarding drug supply and the individuals involved. Developing this information / intelligence into enforcement action by our proactive crime team and local policing teams remains a priority. Between October and December 2024, notable recoveries include: In October 2024 officers from Ayrshire Division Proactive Crime Team attended a property in Largs. During a search of the property a cannabis cultivation and further quantity of cannabis was recovered with a value of £133,000. A male was arrested and charged with being involved in the production and supply of controlled drugs as well as offences under the Electricity Act 1989. In October 2024 officers from Ayrshire Division Proactive Crime Team attended a property in Dalry. During a search of the property a quantity of diamorphine valued at £2500 and a firearm were recovered. A male was arrested and charged in relation to these offences. In November 2024 officers from Ayrshire Division Proactive Crime Team, supported by North Ayrshire Locality Policing Teams attended two properties in Dalry. During a search of these properties quantities of cocaine and cannabis were recovered valued at over £12,600. Over £2000 cash was also seized during the search. A male and female were arrested and charged with being involved in the supply of controlled drugs. Source: Taken from Management Information systems
Page 6
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 6 SERIOUS CRIME—Robbery Local Action/Context: Robbery crimes across North Ayrshire have increased slightly during Q3, figures are slightly up on last year but well below the 5-year average. The figures being reported this year are in keeping with those experiences in previous years with 2023/24 being much lower than the preceding four years. The detection rate is currently 81.8% which is currently slightly below last year but above the 5-year average. There have been three crimes on the High Street in Irvine, two of which have occurred at a bus stop. Twelve of the crimes have taken place within the home, with a physical assault being used against the victim in just over half the crimes. Weapons were used in 11 crimes and included knives, golf club, bottles, etc. Cash and mobile phones remain the most commonly acquired items and the victim knew the offender, in some capacity, in at least 57% of robberies so far this year. Three of the victims have been aged 70 or above; there has been one repeat offender identified who committed 3 crimes. The overall reduction in the crime of robbery is welcome CYTD there have been 22 crimes, with the increase seen in quarter 3 being 1 additional crime. Robbery crimes are always a key priority for North Ayrshire where each report is subject to daily review by the Area Command Team and CID, this ensures that crimes are prioritised, victims supported, and offenders identified and arrested at the earliest opportunity. Two attempted robberies were recorded within a retail environment, our Town Centre Officers are a constant visible presence within retail areas with a focus in and around the Rivergate Centre in Irvine, Locality and Priority Policing Teams proactively enforce bail conditions for robbery offenders and immediately target warrants issued for violent offenders. Three of the indents were either in a domestic setting or between individuals who are known to each other, whilst being committed to robust enforcement we tackle the underlying factors that lead offenders to commit such crimes by working closely with partners to ensure appropriate supports are put in place that could reduce offending. Source: Taken from Management Information systems
Page 7
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 7 VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN & GIRLS—Domestic Abuse Local Action/Context: There has been a change in the reporting methods for Domestic crimes which means there is no means of doing a straight comparison due to the change in recording systems. Figures were previously taken from the Vulnerable Person Database, but from 1st April 2024 this has changed and all Domestic figures are now calculated from the Crime Database (UNIFI). The chart provides an indication of the changes which have taken place and highlights the increases noted in crimes during May, June and September and October 2024. From the available information the indications are that there has been an increase in crimes this year and the figures are also above the 5-year average. Non-recent crimes account for just under 12% of those reported. Incident data also shows a slight decrease this year compared with 2023/24, but not to the same extent as the increase in crime data. DSDAS referrals continue to increase with 52 in North Ayrshire between Oct – Dec 2024 compared with 37 and 42 for the previous two quarters. The DSDAS scheme contributes to tackling violence against women and girls. Informs potential victims of any risk posed by another in their relationship and allows them to make an informed decision for their safety. MARAC – 56 referrals in Q3 another rise with 51 and 34 in the previous quarters. Work has been ongoing with the MARAC Coordination team around criteria and risk assessment of referrals. This saw a drop in Dec with 9 referrals to MARAC. This trend will be monitored. After discussion with SMT at North Ayrshire Children and Families Social work, they have allocated a specialist Adult Support and Protection worker to support the North MARAC. The DAIU and local policing took an active part in the 16 days campaign and attended the ‘Reclaim the night’ walk in Irvine. We also have obtained promotional materials to host a public stand at any event which highlights the DSDAS scheme and Police Scotland’s commitment to tackle domestic violence. The stand was deployed at colleges throughout Ayrshire, and is available for future events. Source: Taken from Available Data on iVPD and UNIFI
Page 8
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 8 VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN & GIRLS—Rape & Sexual Assault Local Action/Context: There has been a increase in the number of reported Rape crimes in North Ayrshire during Q3 of the Financial Year (up from 42 last year to 44 this year). However whilst there has been a 9.5% increase compared with last year, 53% of these are non-recent crimes. A total of 27 crimes are Domestic related with a further five being a family member. The detection rate is currently above the 5-year average but below last year. Sexual Assaults have also noted an increase on both last year and the 5-year average. Of the 104 reported crimes, 51% are non-recent, and at least eight of all sexual assaults were domestic related with a further eight involving a family member. This quarter represents an increase against the previous year to date with 44 reported rapes when last year there was 42. 53% of these crimes are non- recent with a further 27 occurring a domestic environment. The detection rate is above the 5 year average, however below that of last year. The high incidence of historical reporting, whilst positive in demonstrating the trust and confidence in victims to report both historic and domestic offences, presents challenges in terms of recovery of evidence and investigative opportunities. The number of sexual assaults also shows a marginal increase over the previous year to date, 104 versus 100. A significantly, 51% of these are non-recent, again demonstrating trust and confidence in victims to report to police. All Rape investigations are managed by a Detective Inspector who works closely with all partners and COPFS to ensure quality of service to victims. Source: Taken from Management Information systems
Page 9
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 9 SAFER COMMUNITIES—Antisocial Behaviour Local Action/Context: Anti-social behaviour (ASB) incidents across North Ayrshire during Q3 have recorded a decrease when compared with last year (down 2.4%). A 3-year average is available through current dashboards and again there has been a reduction of around 7.5% on this figure. ASB incidents involving youths accounted for just under 11%. Changes have also been made in the way crimes are being recorded to comply with Scottish Government Crime Recording Standards. As a result a new crime group for ASB has now been included making it easier to identify crimes of this nature. These figures show that for Q3 of this year there has been an increase in the number of ASB crimes compared with last year (up 9.2%) and a decrease on the 5-year average (down 5.8%). Pentip ticket information is only available for Ayrshire, not North Ayrshire and currently not all information is coming through therefore these figures only give an indication. During Q3 there have been 77 tickets issued for ASB offences, 50 for Breach of the peace, 13 for Consuming alcohol in a designated place, 5 for Urinating, etc. No comparison can be made on previous years. The reduction in Anti social behaviour is positive and is reflective of the work of the locality policing teams who are a visible presence within the local community. Locality Policing remain responsive to localised issues and specifically target known hotspots and those responsible for ASB reviewing and responding to all incidents within their locality. Each week we review and set priorities for the forthcoming week and implement action plans around specific hot spots. Irvine Town Centre , Central Ave Ardrossan and St Lawrence Place Saltcoats have all seen an increase in ASB which have been addressed through local action plans. Campus officers have been engaging with young people to educate and influence behaviours through a series of inputs. Source: Taken from Management Information Systems
Page 10
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 10 SAFER COMMUNITIES—Hate Crime Local Action/Context: It should be noted that Hate crimes are now being counted using the UNIFI Crime system rather than VPD where the figures came from previously (see Domestic section). This does mean direct comparisons are unlikely to be accurate. Based on the available information this would suggest that Hate crime across North Ayrshire have continued to increase when compared to the same period in 2023/24 (n=123 compared with n=120) and the 5-year average (n=101.6). The chart opposite highlights the fact that Racial crimes continue to show marked increases. The majority of these have involved members of the public rather than Police Officers. There are currently nine repeat victims of Racial abuse in North Ayrshire; two were children targeted by other young persons, two were shop workers, three were adults targeted by other adults; one a police officer and one a neighbour dispute. There are currently eight repeat locations, one being Saltcoats Police Station, Largs Academy, Townhead Stores in Irvine and the other 5 residential properties within Irvine, Saltcoats, Stevenston and Kilbirnie. Whilst Hate Crime overall is trending upwards on the 5 year average up 18.1% it is worth noting a significant reduction from Q2 into Q3 with 45 crime recorded in Q2 and 25 in Q3. The majority of crimes recorded are Threatening and abusive behaviour and racially aggravated conduct, year to date Irvine town centre has recorded the highest number of crimes at 15 with 5 recorded at Townhead Stores. All Hate crimes are subject to daily review and scrutiny to ensure that investigations are completed timeously and that the victims are fully supported and kept informed. Local authority Liaison officer continues to work closely with the Ukrainian and Syrian Communities to provide support and guidance regarding hate crimes, Source: Taken from Available Data on iVPD and UNIFI
Page 11
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 11 SAFER COMMUNITIES—Acquisitive Crime Local Action/Context: The chart opposite shows a decrease from last year in the Acquisitive crimes of Housebreaking, Fraud, Common theft and Shoplifting for Q3. The crime types to be showing an increase at the moment are Vehicle Crime and Other Thefts (especially In building with intent to steal and Reset). However Fraud and Shoplifting are still recording figures above the 5-year average at the moment. Vehicle Crime figures fluctuated during Q3 and this has continued in recent months with figures still lower than those experienced earlier in the year. Previous investigations resulted in arrests being made and the number of crimes had reduced. Figures for 2024/25 continue to remain low in comparison to highest figure recorded during 2020/21. Shoplifting crimes have been on an upward trend in recent years, however there has been a drop in the number of reported crimes this year but the figures remain the second highest since 2019/20. Fraud crimes have also been on an upward trend in recent years, however these dropped slightly during Q3 compared with 2023/24. Figures remain above the 5-year average with detection rates above those recorded last year. Vehicle crime is down compared with the previous quarter, with cross border disruption, detections and ongoing prevention showing an impact. Prevention work continues to promote vehicle/home security and the use of new technology, ensures that vehicle owners are less likely to have their vehicle stolen or broken into. Although Shoplifting crimes continue on an upward trend, retail crime officers across North Ayrshire have established excellent lines of communication and working relationships with retail staff, influencing premise security, to prevent and detect crime in a timeous manner. Crime trends and details of those criminals who travel nationally are shared across the network quickly, with success in intervention and detection. Fraud crimes remain on an upward trend, this is in line with the rest of the UK. The Cyber enabled Investigation Team continue to assist officers with the expertise required to investigate in this completed national trend. Prevention and Intervention remains the focus to ensure that vulnerable members of the community are not ‘scammed’ or targeted by those criminals’ obtaining monies from victims. Work alongside the banks and Post office network continue to ensure the Banking Protocol remains at the forefront in preventing individuals from becoming a victim of these types of fraud. In addition a dedicated team has been established resulting in positive results and high court trials pending. Source: Taken from Management Information systems
Page 12
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 12 ROAD SAFETY Local Action/Context The issue with the Pentip ticket system is in the process of been resolved with RP tickets being uploaded however figures to date cannot be held to be fully accurate with the system having not yet fully caught up. Crime figures involving Speeding currently indicate a decrease with a total of 237 reported, this is below both last years total of 452 and the 5-year average of 385.8. Pentip ticket information is only available for Ayrshire, not North Ayrshire and currently not all information is coming through therefore these figures only give an indication, data is only available up to October 2024. During Q3 there have been 39 tickets issued in Ayrshire during Q3 for Speeding. It is notable, however, that crimes involving Driving under the Influence have continued to increase this year with a total of 222 reported so far, this is well above last years total for Q3 of 190 and the 5-year average of 159.6. In terms of Serious and Fatal Road Accidents —there have been two Fatal Accidents in 2024/25 compared with three last year. However there have been 24 people seriously injured, which is a decrease of fifteen compared to 2023/24; the 2024/25 figure include four children seriously injured. In the year to date (31/12/2024), there have been 93 recorded drink drive related offences which is a 23.8% reduction over the previous year. For the same period to date, there have 183 drug driving offences detected which is an increase on 48% from the previous year. In terms of Serious and Fatal Road Accidents in North Ayrshire —there has been 1 fatality during the three months of this quarter (01/10/2024 until 31/12/2024). Several high profile national campaigns have taken place within North Ayrshire supported by Roads Policing; Young drivers Fatal 5 campaign, 3 days of young driver education has taken place in conjunction with representatives from ARA and SFRS including schools in the North Ayrshire area, Vulnerable Road Users campaign, Get ready for winter campaign, Operation drive insured , Brake road safety week , National taxi education and enforcement campaign, and the Festive drink drug driving campaign. Ayrshire Road Policing Unit have dedicated speeding locations within North Ayrshire which have been identified by our communities as causing concern. These locations are contained within daily tasking’s to ensure our officers continued awareness and deployments. Any new locations are added to a database and then rotated to ensure equity of service. Daily briefings maintain officers awareness of local offenders and crime patterns which enables a targeted, intelligence led approach. Source: Taken from Management Information systems
Page 13
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 13 PUBLIC CONFIDENCE—Survey Information User Experience - Current Position It should also be noted that the ‘Feeling adequately informed’ question changed in 2022/23 and only applies to those who stated they expected to be kept informed. The following data relates to responses from North Ayrshire for the period 1st April to 31st December 2024. Your Survey Local Action/Context: Your Police Survey remains open for all police and members of the public to provide their views on Policing in the local community. Local officers continue to promote engagement with Your Police Survey at all events and community engagements with regular broadcasts on media and social media platforms. How safe do you feel in your local area? Total Respondents Very Safe Fairly Safe Total North 19.56% 61.83% 81.39% 317 Concern about Crime Total Respondents Increased a Lot Increased a Little Total North 22.54% 27.30% 49.84% 317 Questions YTD Ayrshire YTD Female Male Number of Respondents 167 729 97 70 Ease of Contact? (% Easy and Very Easy) 73% 72% 78% 66% Being provided with the appropriate response? (% Yes) 72% 64% 73% 69% Feeling adequately informed about progress made with your report (% Yes) 61% 52% 63% 58% Overall Satisfaction? (% Satisfied or Very Satisfied) 75% 68% 78% 71%
Page 14
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 14 PUBLIC CONFIDENCE—Complaints Against the Police NOTE : The information in these tables covers the period 1 April 2024 to 31 December 2024. Complaint Cases & Allegations Received Breakdown of Case Categories Breakdown of Allegations Breakdown of Quality of Service Allegation Types TOTAL COMPLAINT CASES RECEIVED TOTAL NUMBER OF ALLEGATIONS RECEIVED YTD LYTD % CHANGE YTD LYTD % CHANGE U DIVISION TOTAL 305 310 -1.6% 475 460 3.3% North Ayrshire 89 94 -5.3% 144 121 19.0% FLR (Early Resolution) FLR PSD (NCARU) FLR (Spec or PSD) Criminal Complaint Non Crim- inal (not FLR) Abandoned With- drawn Ongoing (NCARU) Not Rele- vant Com- plaint U DIVISION 1 136 3 24 81 37 17 6 0 North Ayrshire 0 41 1 7 24 11 3 2 0 Breakdown of Allega- tions Assault Corrupt Practice Discriminatory Behaviour Excess Force Incivility Irregularity in Procedure Neglect of Duty Oppressive Conduct/ Harassment Other - Criminal Non- Criminal Traffic Irreg- ularity/ Offence Unlawful Unnecessary Arrest or Detention U DIVISION 31 2 3 40 76 169 4 9 1 6 3 6 North Ayrshire 7 0 0 12 18 62 0 3 1 3 3 2 Quality of Service Policy/ Service Service Outcome U DIVISION TOTAL 24 40 61 North Ayrshire 10 13 10
Page 15
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 15 PUBLIC CONFIDENCE—101 Performance 101 Performance and Information This section measures the average (mean) time to answer calls from the public, received via the 101 telephony system, within the reported period – National Infor- mation and not localised to North Ayrshire. 101 Demand Mitigation People calling the non-emergency 101 service may sometimes have to wait longer to have their calls answered, as the emergency 999 service is always priori- tised. Seasonal fluctuations in demand on 101 and 999 or a high volume of calls to the priority emergency 999 service can result in longer wait times for the responses to non-emergency 101 calls. Crucially, 101 callers are instructed to terminate the call and dial '999' in the event of an emergency or if the incident is escalating. Callers to the 101 non-emergency line are also given the option of using the online Contact Us facility on the Police Scotland website and we have seen a rise in the use of this facility, with 130,000 email contacts recorded last year. ContactUs enquiries are handled in the same way, by the same service advisers as a 101 call but means that the caller does not have to stay on the line for a re- sponse. We also have online reporting forms available on the Police Scotland website which deal with a range of incidents including reporting lost property, and also enable people to report sensitive matters such as hate crime and harassment in confidence. During periods of high demand a recorded message will be utilised to inform callers of delays in answering their call. Callers will also be provided with an antici- pated wait time for their call to be answered. Month Average Speed of Answer No of calls Longest October 2024 3 mins 57 secs 111,146 00:53:02 November 2024 2 mins 49 secs 105,664 00:36:39 December 2024 2 mins 46 secs 98,114 01:13:57
Page 16
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 16 PUBLIC CONFIDENCE—Taser Use
Page 17
OFFICIAL—POLICE & PARTNERS 17 GLOSSARY OF TERMS Acronym Details ASB Anti-Social Behaviour ASBIT Anti-Social Behaviour Investigation Team CWU Community Wellbeing Unit CYTD Current Year to Date DAIU Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit DAST Domestic Abuse Safeguarding Team DRD Drug Related Deaths DSDAS Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland NAC North Ayrshire Council FLR Front Line Resolution GIRFEC Getting It Right For Every Child HMP Her Majesty's Prison iVPD Interim Vulnerable Persons Database LPP Local Policing Plan LPT Local Policing Team LYTD Last Year to Date MARAC Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference NCARU National Complaints and Resolution Unit Non-Rec Non Recent (over one year from incident occurring) PACT Pro-Active Crime Team PSOS Police Service of Scotland PYTD Previous Year to Date QoS Quality of Service (relates to complaints) RADAR Rapid Access to Drug and Alcohol Recovery SARC Sexual Assault Referral Centre SFRS Scottish Fire and Rescue Service SWD Social Work Department VAWG Violence Against Women and Girls YTD Year to Date