North Ayrshire Performance Report
North Ayrshire Council · 24 November 2025
Back to Police and Fire and Rescue Committee — 24 November 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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North Ayrshire Performance Report OFFICIAL Safer communities, less crime, supported victims and a thriving workforce. Quarter 2 : 1st April 2025 to 30th September 2025
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North Ayrshire Performance Report Safer communities, less crime, supported victims and a thriving workforce. OFFICIAL Our Local Policing Priorities • Serious Crime • Safer Communities • Violence Against Women & Girls • Community Wellbeing • Road Safety Introduction As the Local Policing Commander covering North Ayrshire, I am delighted to present the performance report for the second quarter of 2025/26. Overall incidents in North Ayrshire are down from 18502 to 19904 the previous year. Down 7% on the previous year and down 8.2% on the 5-year average. As we head towards the winter months and festive season, our officers and staff continue to work hard, delivering on our national and local policing priorities with a focus on helping our communities thrive and feel safe across North Ayrshire. Over the second quarter of 2025/26, policing has faced a number of challenges in relation to serious crime, events and operations, which has required the flexing of local resources to support national delivery. Whilst there was an increased demand on Ayrshire’s Policing delivery, we have strived to ensure that North Ayrshire communities remained a safe place to live, work and flourish. I want to thank partners for their support and collaborative approaches during this reporting period. Chief Superintendent Suzanne Chow
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Overview Safer communities, less crime, supported victims and a thriving workforce. OFFICIAL Violence CYTD: 928 PYTD: 1007 % Change 5yr Avg: +1.8% +9.0% Drugs Supply CYTD: 41 PYTD: 40 % Change 5yr Avg: +9% -19.6% Sexual Crimes CYTD: 186 PYTD: 185 % Change 5yr Avg: +14.7% +2.2% Serious Organised Crime ASB CYTD: 3675 PYTD: 3848 % Change 5yr Avg: -20.1% Hate Crime CYTD: 61 PYTD: 93 % Change 5yr Avg: -20.1% Domestic Abuse CYTD: 917 PYTD: 922 % Change 5yr Avg: +6% Safer Communities Acquisitive Crime CYTD: 1,120 PYTD: 1,329 % Change 5yr Avg: -13.2% Robbery CYTD: 15 PYTD: 17 % Change 5yr Avg: - -23.5% Acquisitive Crime Road Traffic Offences CYTD: 1,751 PYTD: 1,276 % Change 5yr Avg: +34.6% Fatal & Serious Injury CYTD: 4 / 15 PYTD: 1 / 20 % Change Prev Year +300% and -25% Road Safety
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Serious Crime Safer communities, less crime, supported victims and a thriving workforce. OFFICIAL Violent Crime - Violent Crime has decreased by 7.8% on the previous year to date and is down from 1007 incidents to 928 incidents. Further there has been an increased detection rate of 2.4% since last year. There has been one further homicide within the reporting period which relates to the murder of 31-year-old Shona Stevens at Bourtreehill Park in 1994. The significant arrest of a 67-year-old male has thankfully brought long awaited answers to the community of North Ayrshire. Understandably, Shona’s murder caused significant upset amongst within the Irvine community and the detection has given answers and peace to many of our North Ayrshire residents. Serious assaults across this reporting period have decreased by 3% on last years figure from 35 to 34 and decreased by 10.5% on the 5-year average (5 year average being 38). What's more, there has been a 5.3% increase in the serious assault detection rate. Drug Related Crime – Drug supply crimes have shown an increase of 2.5% on the previous year to date. Our officers continue to prioritise intelligence led activity targeting individuals involved in the supply of controlled drugs within local communities. Between1st July to 30th September 26 search warrants executed, 14 were positive and 7 resulted in supply charges. The most notable recovery was 4.5k of Cannabis in Irvine in July. During the reporting period there have been 309 offences relating to possession of a controlled drug. This success has been influenced by our intelligence led stop search activity where just over one in every 4 stop searches result in a positive recovery. Recent changes in drug trends relating to higher demand for heroin containing nitazene compounds, have led officers to direct resources towards specific areas across North Ayrshire, addressing issues of drug dealing, drug misuse, and associated harm. This approach is integral to our ongoing efforts to reduce drug harm and drug related deaths in the area. In conjunction with our Roads Policing department, officers in North Ayrshire continue to target vehicles travelling into and through the area which have been identified as linked to organised crime and the supply of drugs.
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Sexual Crimes (incl. VAWG) Safer communities, less crime, supported victims and a thriving workforce. OFFICIAL Sexual Crime has shown a slight increase of 0.5% since last year and an increase of 14.7% in the 5-year average. Recorded Rape crimes have reduced by 14.3% from 35 last year to 30 this year. Furthermore, the detection rate for Rape has risen by 12.4% which is testament to the bravery of victims and deployment of specialist officers in identifying those responsible. Sexual assaults have remained similar with there being 74 recorded incidents in quarter 2 in 2024/25 and 76 recorded incidents in 2025/26. The overall increase of only 0.5% in sexual crime aligns with national trends, largely driven by a rise in communicating indecently offences alongside other online/cyber related offences, which account for much of the reported increase. Crimes involving indecent communications have shown increased reporting overall over the last 5 years however a drop in recorded incidents of 5.4% this year in comparison to quarter 2 last year. There is a 64.9% detection rate on the 5-year average. Dedicated Public Protection officers are based in North Ayrshire to investigate sexual offences and are supported by specialist officers from national divisions dedicated to helping the victims of such crimes. Locality Policing (community and campus) officers continue to work proactively to reduce the number of victims of sexual crime and encourage a safe space in which to report. Close collaboration with partners including the Violence Against Women and Girls network strengthens prevention and early intervention. Domestic Abuse incidents have decreased by 0.54% in the reporting period compared to the previous year. Officers in North Ayrshire attended 917 domestic incidents in the quarter 2 reporting period, 404 of which were domestic related crimes (44%). This slight decrease reflects positively on North Ayrshire and is in contrast with the Scottish data which presents a slight rise in reported domestic incidents. Proactive policing of domestic bail requirements has resulted in 57 offences being identified relating to perpetrators breaching bail conditions. This equals last year and is a 5.6% increase on the 5-year average. We continue to support and protect victims throughout their criminal justice journey. Domestic Abuse Crimes remain a daily operational focus, ensuring victims are protected, supported and confident to report to police. Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland (DSDAS) referrals in North Ayrshire for the Q2 period (92 disclosures made) continue to rise, demonstrating the commitment and effectiveness of the Domestic Abuse Safeguarding Team. Across Scotland the number of applications has soared by 17.7 per cent, highlighting its continued use, greater awareness of its existence, and its value in Scotland to aid prevention of domestic abuse.
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Safer Communities Safer communities, less crime, supported victims and a thriving workforce. OFFICIAL Anti-Social Behaviour incidents have decreased 4.5% on the previous year to date, with overall ASB calls to police reducing from 3848 to 3675 incidents, which is down 20.5% on the 5-year average. There have been 518 intelligence lead stop searches conducted. A slight decrease on the previous year of 614 however focus has been on educating officers in identifying those likely to be committing ASB offences or crimes involving criminal possession of weapons or drugs. Hate Crimes recorded for quarter 2 have shown a drop on the previous year from 94 to 61 - a 35% decrease. Furthermore, there was a 20% decrease on the 5-year average. The most common offences continue to be racially aggravated and disablist incidents Anti-Social Behaviour – Excellent partnership work between Police Scotland, North Ayrshire Council and our Safer Shores contingent of stakeholders continues to contribute to the reduction of overall ASB across our communities. As well as the Safer Shores focus over the summer months, a particular emphasis remains on addresses (dwelling houses) and locations where ASB continues to be reported. Our monthly Prevention First meeting chaired by Inspector Lisa Thomson aims to identify individuals who need help and a joint partnership approach using collaboration and a problem solving approach to address antisocial behaviour before escalation occurs. The Police ASB officer PC Heather Galloway continues to work closely with partners to share information and to facilitate a co-ordinated and focused partnership approach to tackling anti-social behaviour across North Ayrshire. Hate Crimes are reviewed daily in North Ayrshire with specific focus from the Local Area Commander CI Judith Macgregor to ensure all investigative opportunities are seized and the victim is supported by the police following a report of hate crime. Work is undertaken with those victims who are repeat victims of hate crime, to prevent further offending and to maximise the opportunity to bring offenders to justice. Both North Ayrshire and National policing departments continue to monitor the UK policing assessment of Anti-Immigration Protests as well as increasing frustrations over illegal immigration to ensure a calm remains in the community and that there is a proportionate policing response. A breakdown of this years and the previous years Hate Crimes can be seen below. 2024/25 2025/26 Crimes Detection Rate Crimes Detection Rate 93 66.7% 61 62.3%
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Acquisitive Crime Safer communities, less crime, supported victims and a thriving workforce. OFFICIAL Robbery - It is pleasing to see Robbery crimes have decreased by 11.7% on the previous year to date (17 incidents down to 15) and are 23% down on the 5-year average of 19 incidents per annum. Officers maintain a focus on offenders in the community. Information regarding offenders recently released from prison is shared to support proactive policing. Working closely with partner agencies, officers aim to reduce the likelihood of reoffending. Data is analysed to ensure those locations and individuals most vulnerable to robbery receive the necessary support to prevent them being a victim of robbery. It is also positive to see a decrease of 12% in theft by housebreaking on the previous year to date and furthermore a decrease of 32% on the 5-year average. Overall Acquisitive crime has decreased 15.7% on the previous year dropping from 1329 incidents to 1120 incidents. To date there has also been a decrease of 13.2% in the 5- year average. With our focus at the last PFRC Board meeting largely being on Retail Crime, I am pleased to report that though slight, there has been a decrease of 4.2% in recorded theft by shoplifting crimes Thefts of motor vehicles have also seen a decrease of 14.5% on the previous year to date however with the colder months arriving upon us, we continue to provide vehicle safety advice, around ‘keyless entry’ vehicles and owners preheating their vehicles to defrost thus increasing the vulnerability of the vehicle. Acquisitive crime. North Ayrshire officers in particular our Preventions and Interventions officer PC Jamie Cree, work closely with retailers to ensure that prevention measures and security protocols are in place. Although just out with quarter 2, on 14th October North Ayrshire retailers were invited to a partnership input designed to provide up to date intelligence briefings with the assistance of Retailers Against Crime. This was held at Saltcoats Town Hall and officers across all areas of North Ayrshire worked hard at notifying retailers and encouraging them to attend the event. During the reporting period of quarter 2 both a 58 year old male and a 28 year old male were reported for a number of crimes of dishonesty, shopliftings and housebreakings in the Largs and Saltcoats areas. These males worked independently and were not linked to one another being responsible for different incidents. We continue to request Undertaking or Court-imposed bail conditions to prevent offenders from entering the premises where such offences occur however it is imperative that retailers also ensure that their premises are as secure and theft proof as is possible. This approach provides a layer of protection for retailers and supports the wider community in reducing repeat offending.
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Road Safety Safer communities, less crime, supported victims and a thriving workforce. OFFICIAL Road Traffic Offences increased from 1276 PYTD to 1751 in the CYTD. A rise of 37.2%. There was also a 34.6% increase on the 5 year average from 1301 to 1751. Speeding offences have remained the same as last year however Dangerous and Careless driving offences have risen by 5.3% and 11.2% respectively. Positively, Drug/Drink Driving offences have decreased this year dropping from 91.7% last year at this time to 81.3% - a decrease of 17.3%. By the close of quarter 2, there have been 4 fatalities this year on North Ayrshire roads in comparison to 1 by the same time last year. Serious injury RTCs on our North Ayrshire roads have thankfully decreased slightly from 20 the previous year to date to 15 this year – a drop of 25%. The fatalities and serious injuries have occurred at various locations across North Ayrshire emphasizing the ongoing need for driver, rider and passenger education which our Roads Policing and Local officers continuously strive to deliver and achieve. Road Traffic Offences are centred around the ‘Fatal 5’ most common factors that cause fatal road traffic collisions (speeding, seatbelt use, distractions, drink/drug driving and careless driving). Analysis of police data, local concerns and complaints ensure that officers focus policing efforts on areas across North Ayrshire where the risk is highest. Within the reporting period complaints of e bike and dirt bike use have been the focus of proactive patrol. Working alongside our partners at North Ayrshire Council and Housing, Associations, we aim to identify those responsible using joint tactics to identify them. Several e bikes and e scooters have been seized and riders charged with offences under the Road traffic Act as a result. Fatal and Serious Road Traffic Collisions - Road policing colleagues attend all serious road collisions and fatal road collisions. Investigations are carried out to establish the causation factors and liaise with COPFS regarding the outcome of the investigations. Across Ayrshire, the most common casualty group in Serious Road traffic collisions continues to be car drivers with the second most common group pedestrians.
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Community Wellbeing Safer communities, less crime, supported victims and a thriving workforce. OFFICIAL Protecting the most Vulnerable – Officers in North Ayrshire submitted 2,965 concern reports for individuals in the reporting period. 1155 relate to vulnerable adults and 1465 relate to child concerns (some repeat reports). Concern reports are triaged by officers and shared with various partners where required, this ensures a multi-agency approach to reducing vulnerability through partnership work. Protecting the most vulnerable members of society is vital in North Ayrshire. Officers submitted Adult Concern forms for 1155 individuals, and these were shared on 1242 occasions with partners, multiple partners are notified to ensure wider safeguarding. Missing People - Within the reporting period North Ayrshire officers dealt with 175 reports of Missing People. This is a decrease of 6.9% on the figures for the same period last year. 135 of these reports related to a person under the age of 18 and 63 of those reports were missing persons residing in care establishments 28 Missing person reports identified an immediate threat to life and were graded High Risk. These risk assessments allow us to focus resource to the greatest need and vulnerability North Ayrshire has lately seen the unveiling of the Unscheduled Care Hub at Woodlands View Hospital. Chief Supt Suzanne Chow and Chief Insp Judith Macgregor recently visited the facility which offers immediate mental health assessment and support for those in need but who may not fit the criteria for more urgent MH care processes. Offering 5 beds and up to 72 hours of help, the unit can often support our citizens and guide them towards partner agencies offering long term support North Ayrshire Preventions and Interventions officer PC Jamie Cree works closely with partner agencies and third sector organisations to ensure that crime prevention advice is shared. Inputs have taken place to retailers, young people groups and older persons groups, this allows the sharing of vital information to ensure that we have less victims of crime across North Ayrshire and those most vulnerable across society are identified and protected. Campus officers continue to work with educators to deliver inputs across schools, focussing on the key local priorities within each area, ASB and road safety remain a priority. We have worked with Alcohol and Drug Partnership colleagues to focus enforcement in areas where there has been an increase in drugs deaths and non-fatal overdoses. We continue to use stop/search powers to seize illegal drugs in communities in North Ayrshire and increased intelligence gathering aids enforcement action across the area.
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North Ayrshire Performance Report Safer communities, less crime, supported victims and a thriving workforce. OFFICIAL Our Local Policing Priorities • Serious Crime • Safer Communities • Violence Against Women & Girls • Community Wellbeing • Road SafetyE sco Spotlight – Body Worn Video (early 2026) The training and rollout of Body Worn Videos BWV (early 2026) will help to de-escalate incidents, improve public trust in policing and reduce complaints, support officer and staff safety, and bring wider benefits to the criminal justice system. BWV provides officers and staff with an additional tool to gather evidence at almost every incident they attend. It increases public trust and confidence and provides transparency and accountability in respect of an officer’s actions and decision making. The cameras are small, visible devices that are attached to the officers’ uniform. The position of the camera allows for those viewing the footage to review both audio and visual evidence of the situation and can support an officer’s written and verbal record of events. They also provide an independent witness to police actions and interactions in an unbiased and secure recording. BWV recordings should be used to corroborate, rather than replace, traditional written statements. It is worth remembering that the camera records from a one-dimensional view from the officer’s body and cannot allow those reviewing the footage to experience everything seen, heard or felt by the officer wearing the BWV camera. Further information will be provided by our guest speaker who will provide insight to the technology, how it is working in other parts of the country and the benefits to policing in North Ayrshire.