Perth and Kinross Local Policing End of Year Police Report - 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026
Perth and Kinross Council · 3 June 2026
Back to Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee — 3 June 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Report No. 26/162 Perth and Kinross Council Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee Police Scotland End of Year Report 2025-2026
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OFFICIAL 2 | P a g e OFFICIAL Contents Introduction and Overview of Local Policing Priorities Police Scotland’s strategic objectives Perth and Kinross Local Policing Plan 2023-2026 Performance on a Page • Local Priority/Activity – Address violence through preventative and enforcement measures • Local Priority/Activity – Deal with disorder and antisocial behaviour • Local Priority/Activity – Tackle acquisitive crime and support victims • Local Priority/Activity – Make our roads safer • Local Priority/Activity – Public Protection • Local Priority/Activity – Enable and support effective engagement and communication with the public Introduction and Overview of Local Policing Priorities As from April 2013, the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 has required Divisional Commanders to produce and publish a Local Policing Plan (LPP) for each local authority area. The Perth and Kinross LPP 2023-2026 clearly sets out the policing objectives for Perth and Kinross and will report to the Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee. Annual reports are produced to allow scrutiny by Perth and Kinross Council Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee. This end of year report covers the period from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
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OFFICIAL 3 | P a g e OFFICIAL In line with the Perth and Kinross LPP, these Performance Reports provide a more holistic overview of progress across the service to meet our strategic outcomes. This approach provides a wider and more detailed picture of traditional policing performance measures, supplemented with additional insight and narrative to the many different aspects of policing and corporate support functions. The measures are longer term focussed rather than reflecting the ongoing performance of the day-to-day operational challenges we face and aim to provide evidence of the effectiveness and impact of our services as a whole. We have introduced several key performance measures and insights in support of our local police plan to focus attention on impact and outcomes. For example: • How effective are the diversionary activities provided? • How effective are the processes in place to prevent acquisitive crime? • How well are we engaging with the public? • What progress has been made in terms of collaboration and what percentage of the divisional estate is co-located with partners? To enable a more detailed examination by the Committee of specific local priorities and strategic outcomes, a ‘Spotlight’ focus will be provided on one of the priority areas on a quarterly basis. The Spotlight focus will rotate each quarter in line with the expected updates outlined in the Perth and Kinross LPP.
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OFFICIAL 4 | P a g e OFFICIAL Police Scotland’s strategic objectives
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OFFICIAL 6 | P a g e OFFICIAL Performance on a Page - 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026 Recorded Crimes Change Detection Rate % point Change CYTD LYTD 5 Yr Av. From LYTD From 5 Yr Av. CYTD LYTD 5 Yr Av. From LYTD From 5 Yr Av. ASB and Disorder Overall group 4 872 817 838 6.7% 4.1% 35.9% 35.6% 35.7% 0.3% 0.2% ASB Incidents 6099 6471 6887 -5.75% -11.4% Violence Robbery 54 44 39 22.7% 39.9% 72.2% 65.9% 81.3% 6.3% -9.1% Serious Assault 78 78 79 0% -1.3% 80.8% 98.7% 88.4% -17.9% -7.6% Common Assault (excl EW) 1162 1212 1058 -4.1% 9.8% 76% 74.7% 70% 1.3% 6% Public Protection Overall Group 2 426 384 370 10.9% 15.1% 67.1% 64.1% 57.2% 3.0% 9.9% Rape 100 79 66 26.6% 51.1% 71% 57% 55.6% 14% 15.4% Domestic Abuse (of female) 93 81 52 14.8% 80.2% 79.6% 75.3% 67.8% 4.3% 11.8% Domestic Abuse (of male) 10 6 4 66.7% 163.2% 70% 50% 68.4% 20% 1.6% Road Safety Speeding offences 420 214 1012 96.3% -58.5% 100.2% 99.5% 100% 0.7% 0.2% Drink / Drug Driving 238 193 184 23.3% 29.2% 92.4% 99% 97.2% -6.5% -4.8% Acquisitive Crime Dwelling HBs 62 75 83 -17.3% -24.9% 19.4% 30.7% 26.2% -11.3% -6.8% HBs – Other Premises 52 85 79 -38.8% -34.5% 46.2% 58.8% 49.4% -12.6% -3.2% Motor Vehicle Crime 162 236 225 -31.4% -28.3% 40.7% 38.6% 39.6% 2.1% 1.1% Fraud 352 319 325 10.3% 8.2% 14.8% 17.6% 16.7% -2.8% -1.9% Shoplifting 1193 814 617 46.6% 93.2% 54.1% 40.8% 53.4% 13.3% 0.7% Overall Group 2’ All Sexual Crimes including Rape & Attempts, Indecent & Sexual Assaults, Prostitution Offences and ‘Other’ Group 2 Crimes. Overall Group 4’ All Fireraising, Vandalism, Reckless Conduct and ‘Other’ Group 4 Crimes.
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OFFICIAL 7 | P a g e OFFICIAL Policing For Our Communities In February 2026, Tayside Division launched a new Policing model, as part of a wider graduated national rollout. It had been recognised that Local Policing has been mostly unchanged since the creation of Police Scotland, with varied Divisional approaches, whilst crime & public expectation has continued to evolve. There had been a number of challenges facing Police Scotland including visibility, the public getting non-emergency help timely and appropriately as well as frontline policing becoming more reactive than proactive and preventative. The new model aims to address these challenges and enhance Community Policing. In addition to Response and Community Policing teams, the Community Investigations Hub (CIH) has been created to better serve the public in terms of the management and response to non-urgent incidents and crimes. The CIH prioritises non-urgent demand to ensure the public receive a timely, efficient response. Through the model providing more efficiency, Police officers will be more visible in their communities providing increased capacity to focus on effective local problem solving and engagement with their communities. Although the model is in its infancy in the Division, there are already positive signs that it will achieve it’s aims and provide a better service to the Perth and Kinross area.
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OFFICIAL 8 | P a g e OFFICIAL Local Priority/Activity – Address violence through preventative and enforcement measures Murder There has been one murder during this reporting period. This occurred in June 2025 and tragically resulted in the deceased being found on a rural road near Dunning. Two men aged 36 and 42 were quickly arrested and are awaiting trial. The previous murder in Perth and Kinross was from Q1 of 2023/24 and resulted in a guilty verdict earlier this year. Attempted Murder Seven Attempted Murders have been recorded during 2025/26, Three were recorded in the final quarter of the year. This is the same number of crimes from the previous year. All crimes are detected. All but six of the crimes involved the victim knowing the accused persons. The relationship tended to be either, family, friend or partner. The crimes also occurred in a mixture of indoor and outdoor settings. Serious Assault Investigation of serious assaults has remained positive this year after significant reduction was seen in 2024/25. The progress has been held during 2025/26 with a similar number of crimes recorded in the reporting period (78 crimes). Detection rates for Serious Assaults remain high at 80.8%. It is worth noting that this is down from the 5yr average of 88.4% and last year’s fantastic 98.7%. However, this includes some crimes recorded to comply with Scottish Crime Recording Standards based on only very brief input from victims and therefore limited investigative opportunity. despite offers of support victims are non-engaging, significantly limiting scope for enquiry. Serious assaults are overseen by CID. The Detective Inspector responsible for the CID in the Local Policing Area will ensure undetected crimes are subject to regular scrutiny / review to ensure all investigative opportunities are identified and progressed in a timeous manner. There remain positive avenues for the detection rate for serious assaults to yet increase further.
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OFFICIAL 9 | P a g e OFFICIAL Robberies Recorded robberies have seen an increase of 10 crimes from last year, 54 have been recorded in total this period. Despite this increased occurrence, determined commitment to thorough investigation of this crime type has ensured the detection rate improved. 72.2% of robberies are detected, the highest detection rate of any local authority within Tayside. This is an improvement of the detection rate by 6.3% on the previous year. At least 9 crimes are still actively under investigation meaning this figure has potential to improve further. While robbery occurrence rates have unfortunately steadily risen over the last 5 years it is notable that detections have maintained a strong performance. All robberies continue to be subject to review by Reactive CID with advice and guidance provided should investigative ownership remain with uniformed officers. Similar to serious assaults, victim engagement is fundamental to achieving a successful conclusion. Of the undetected crimes, two are linked to the same victim with engagement hampered by linked activity around the supply of controlled drugs. This is a recurring theme and additional challenge surrounding investigations of this crime type. Around half of all robberies recorded took place in a residential space, the overwhelming majority being private dwellings. There is an increase of 14% to this crime locus based on the previous year with residential areas clearly being more challenging to influence from a policing perspective. Victims and suspects are often known to one another, although such links may not always be shared with police. This year, around 38% of robberies occurred in public spaces this is only a marginal percentage increase on the location type from the previous year. Robberies committed in commercial premises are reduced in comparison to the previous year down -42.9%, a very positive reduction. Crimes of robbery were significantly more prevalent in the first two quarters of this reporting period. 65% of robberies were actually committed in the first half of the year with the occurrence rate showing significant improvement latterly. Quarter 3 in 2024/25 was a particularly high period last year, thankfully that was not replicated this year with just 5 crimes recorded, a reduction of 61.5%.
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OFFICIAL 10 | P a g e OFFICIAL Whilst occurrence rates in relation to robberies has increased this year, there are no identified thematics indicating missed opportunities at prevention. Victims are generally known to those responsible who are often present at the locus by invitation. Weapons don’t always feature and when they are varied. Alcohol and/or controlled drugs are often a factor. Analysis indicates Perth Centre and the residential accommodation located there, is the primary locus of most robberies. Crime becomes significantly more sporadic further afield in Perth and Kinross. Incidence of serious assaults are reduced this year with a strong detection rate. Robberies for a second year have been a more challenging crime category to deal with in terms of violent crime. Whilst crime occurrence is up, it is worthy of consideration that this is almost exclusively within residential addresses, predominately in the centre of Perth, involving individuals known to one another with either the victim, perpetrator or both linked to use of illicit drugs. Injury sustained during robberies is often relatively minor or violence is indeed only implied. Completely spontaneous robberies involving individuals unknown to one another are fortunately very rare. Across murder, attempted murder, serious assaults and robbery, last year crime was detected at a rate of 78%, this is above the National average. Perth and Kinross unquestionably remains a safe place to live and work.
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OFFICIAL 11 | P a g e OFFICIAL Local Priority/Activity – Deal with disorder and antisocial behaviour • Overall, incidents of Anti-Social Behaviour showed a decrease of 5.75% when compared to LYTD and are 11.4% lower than the 5-year average. • 772 crimes of vandalism were recorded during the reporting period, an increase of 6.2% from LYTD (45 more crimes). This is also slightly higher than the 5-year average which is 761, an increase of 11. • 47 crimes of fire raising were recorded during the reporting period, an increase of 14.6% when compared to LYTD (6 additional crimes). This year also saw an increase on the 5-year average figure of 30, of 17 crimes. The detection rate this year is 48.9%, down from 58.5% last year. This is, however, still higher than the 5-year average of 45.9. Perth and Kinross LPA, continue to work closely with partners delivering a multi-agency response alongside Housing, Visitor Rangers, Community Safety, Civil Contingencies and Enforcement and SFRS conducting reviews of all ASB calls, thereafter, sharing with the relevant partner to mitigate the risk and reduce harm. Regular meetings are attended by Community Policing officers to discuss recurring ASB issues, ensuring proportionate action is taken from a multi-agency perspective, with joint visits conducted when required to ensure a co-ordinated approach. For the period under review, Perth has 3 live ASBOs. Partnerships Interventions and Preventions (PIP) officers continue engagement with ASB team and provide proactive sharing where appropriate.
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OFFICIAL 12 | P a g e OFFICIAL Partner Intelligence Portal The Partner Intelligence Portal is a secure and confidential electronic system, developed by the Police Service to enable partner agencies to share important information they receive whilst working. The portal provides capable partners with the means to securely and discreetly submit key information, whilst maintaining safeguards which protect the source of the information. Partner Portal training continues to be delivered to broaden access. It has been positively received and widely used already. Partnership Against Rural Crime (PARC) The Perth and Kinross PARC meet regularly to discuss issues from fire and water safety to anti-social behaviour, thefts and fly tipping. The group provides a platform for information sharing, advice and support for partners in jointly addressing issues affecting our rural communities. Operation Leste Operation Leste is the operation name given to the police response to the protests that have taken place around the country focussing on premises housing asylum seekers. In Perth and Kinross these protests have predominantly centred around The Station Hotel and the Queens Hotel in Perth city centre. The two main protest groups involved have been, Perth’s Peaceful Protest and Perth Against Racism. Policing these has been very challenging in terms of planning. Police have been present at all protests to ensure everyone’s right to carry out a peaceful protest is protected and to ensure protests pass safely, with as little disruption to the community as possible. Whilst we seek good engagement with organisers and have generally achieved this we have had to plan Policing operations, on occasion, with limited information, standing up Policing operations at times for protests that never materialised. Since protests commenced in August 2025 there have been 8 protests although there have been 23 Policing operations stood up.
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OFFICIAL 13 | P a g e OFFICIAL We have been able to draw upon several national resources including specialist resources such as Hate Crime Advisors and Police Liaison Teams to ensure a proportionate and effective police presence has been in place. Protests have taken place without serious incident, with 2 persons reported for Op Leste related offences in this period. Police attend regular meetings with key stakeholders to discuss upcoming protests and regularly visit the hotels to provide visibility and reassurance. Despite the commencement of Op Leste related protests Perth and Kinross has seen a small increase of recorded racially aggravated hate crime by 3 from the previous year of 106, to 109. Overall hate crime for the area has seen a decrease of 9.3%, from 172 to 156. Licensing Between 1st April 2025 and 31st March 2026, the Police Divisional Licensing Team processed around 3384 licence applications for the Perth and Kinross area. This included applications for occasional licenses to allow premises to have additional outdoor areas, and grants and renewals for taxi operators/drivers. This also included renewals and grants for Houses of Multiple Occupancy and Short Term Lets, along with new premises licences, variations to premises licences and new and renewals of personal licences. Each application is carefully scrutinised by the licensing team to ensure the application is compatible with the licensing objectives, and applicants are routinely interviewed or contacted to remind them of the responsibilities of a licence holder. 114 recorded ASB incidents were at or in the immediate vicinity of licensed premises. This is a decrease on the previous year, whereby 133 incidents were recorded. There were 388 inspections carried out throughout Perth and Kinross, with 1 premise identified as problematic during this period. This premise was placed on an intervention plan. The licensing team have been promoting the ‘by-stander’ training which is being carried out by licensing officers at licensed premises for staff and has also been carried out for taxi drivers within the P&K area.
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OFFICIAL 14 | P a g e OFFICIAL We continue to promote the proxy purchase campaign – It’ll Cost You around off-licences in Tayside. The Police Licensing team have carried out several joint visits in Licensed Premises with the local Community Team and with the Licensing Standards Officers at Perth & Kinross Council. We continue to investigate unlicensed premises, with our most recent joint visit with P&K Council to an unlicensed short term let in Kinloch Rannoch. Wildlife Crime Police Scotland continues to work with the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit on several annual national Operations, such as. • Operation Easter – which relates to the theft of wild bird eggs. Police Scotland undertakes targeted proactive work relating to known nominals as well as nesting site visits. • Operation Owl – an overarching operation to tackle raptor persecution. Extra attention to vulnerable or well-known nesting sites across Scotland. • Operation seabird – which relates to cetacean disturbance, often caused by tour boats, jet skis, paddleboarders etc. Proactive engagement with tour operators, the public, and days of action. Social media work undertaken too. • Operation Thunder – this relates to the trade in endangered species, such as ivory, rhino horn, tiger claws etc. Regular engagement and targeted approaches to antique dealers and auction houses. Regular engagement and joint working with UK border force. • Operation Galileo – this operation focuses on hare coursing, which is a widespread issue across Scotland. Collating data and visiting hot spots to ensure police presence acts as reassurance and a deterrent simultaneously. Police Scotland continues to deliver our two national training courses. A two-day introduction to wildlife crime course and a five-day investigators course. These are both well subscribed and garner a lot of interest from officers across Scotland. Police Scotland continue to attend community events across Scotland to engage with the public and promote an awareness of wildlife crime and suspicious behaviour
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OFFICIAL 15 | P a g e OFFICIAL Local Priority/Activity – Tackle acquisitive crime and support victims During the reporting period our Partnerships, Interventions and Preventions Officers have sought opportunities to engage with partners and the wider public to tackle acquisitive crime. Crime Prevention opportunities are reviewed and where appropriate engagement carried out by trained crime prevention and architectural liaison officers within the Division or the National Rural and Acquisitive Crime Team. This is carried out to provide professional and sound advice to domestic and commercial victims. Domestic Housebreakings Domestic Housebreakings saw improvement this year with a reduction in occurrence by 13 crimes or percentage decrease of 17.3%. Quarters 1 and 3 made the biggest inroads in terms of reduction compared to last year. Quarter 4 has indicated a rise and this is something being closely monitored into the 2026/27 period. Part of this increase is attributable to the cyclical behaviour of groups from out with Perth and Kinross targeting the area for higher value vehicles. This is not new and neighbouring Divisions now more effectively share reports of such offending to maximise investigative opportunities. Detections for domestic dwelling housebreakings are down on the previous year and the 5-year average. Data mapping does not identify any hotspot areas; the City Centre has 4 crimes recorded within St Catherines Square. These shared commonality in relation to being vacant flats but has been subject of discussion with Perth and Kinross Council to prevent future occurrence. Non-Dwelling Housebreakings A crime type including the likes of sheds, garages and other outbuildings has recorded only a very marginal increase this year (2 crimes). This is a crime category that has been declining over recent years and with 27 crimes total for the year, this is well under the 5-year average of 41 crimes. Just short of 1 in 5 crimes of this type are detected which is not insignificant given they are often only discovered after being committed, with few forensic opportunities available. Housebreakings Other Effectively comprising commercial premises, 33 crimes less has led to a 33.8% reduction on last year’s occurrence figures. This is an extremely positive statistic and is likely a result of a combination of factors including crime prevention advice and greater retailer
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OFFICIAL 16 | P a g e OFFICIAL engagement. Crimes committed this year are nearly half that recorded in 2020/21, evidence of a steady decline over the last 5 years. Nearly half of these crimes are detected with Perth and Kinross having the highest detection rate for this type of crime within Tayside. Cumulative crime volume across all types of housebreaking are down 44 crimes or 23.8% on last years recorded figures. This is a positive trend and evidence of the focussed work undertaken throughout the year to protect the property of those living and working in Perth and Kinross. Theft of Motor Vehicles There has been a substantial reduction in the number of vehicles stolen within the Local Authority Area during 2025/26. 64 crimes in total were recorded, a reduction of 18 crimes or 22% on last year’s figures. This again is the result of a continuing trend with a reduction now being recorded in each of the last 5 years. Focussed reviews, greater information sharing and diligent forensic work along with crime prevention advice have all contributed to the success. The first three quarters of 2025/26 comfortably recorded a reduction however latterly there have been signs of a reversal. As such, motor vehicle thefts are well in focus heading into the next reporting year. Detections for theft of motor vehicles are a further positive, up marginally this year to 56.3%. There is no real trend in terms of hotspots for vehicle thefts however several incidents have involved youths, city centre car parks and motorcycles. Central Perth, Blairgowrie, Almondbank, Crieff, Bridge of Earn, Auchterarder and Kinross all feature but with relatively low numbers in each. Quad bike thefts have featured and do account for some rural crime however the figures indicate not to levels previously seen. Overall, recorded vehicle crime reduced by 31.4%. This amounts to 74 less victims a real positive for residents and visitors. All individual categories are showing a reduction, so improvement is uniform. Detections have followed suit and are up on last year closing with a rate of 40.7%. Nationally the average detection rate sits at 29.8% emphasising that Perth and Kinross is a strong performer when it comes to investigating and detecting vehicle related crime.
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OFFICIAL 17 | P a g e OFFICIAL Shoplifting Perth and Kinross, similar to other areas nationally, has seen a substantial increase of this crime during this period compared to last year. 379 additional crimes have been recorded for the year. Unlike other crimes where 5-year comparison indicates progress and a steady decline, shoplifting this year is more than double that recorded in 2022/23. Contributing to this significant rise is the implementation of Online Reporting for retailers which is now fully functional nationally, with retailers encouraged to report everything regardless of the value. This has led to easier access and improved confidence in reporting. Whilst cost of living will have undoubtedly been an influencing factor, offending rates and other deliberate measures may also contribute. Alcohol and drug misuse are linked to a large number of shopliftings. A dedicated Retail Crime Task Force has been created within Tayside to focus on this issue and work with local policing. This has assisted with improving detections this year and saw 54.1% of shoplifting offences detected, a rise of 13.3% on last year. Significantly, in terms of comparison to the 2022/23 year is recognition the detection rate just returned is better than that returned in that year despite the disparity in offending. Shoplifting is an offence type dependent on retailer knowledge, engagement and cooperation. The strong detection rate in the face of increased offending indicates that a joint and effective response is being delivered. The new PFOC model and continued work with the Retail Crime Task Force should see improvement in this area. Fraud Fraud figures for Perth and Kinross show an increase of 33 crimes over the year. Cyber enabled fraud fluctuates between around a fifth to a quarter of the total fraud recorded. Fraud is discussed at the monthly acquisitive crime meeting and nationally, trends are identified to forewarn areas yet affected. Frauds linked to impersonation of family members, driving lessons, event tickets, pets and romance scams are now well established with significant crime prevention work completed.
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OFFICIAL 18 | P a g e OFFICIAL Overall Across all acquisitive crime types, total crimes for the year have increased, this is however almost exclusively the result of the increase in shoplifting. Excluding shoplifting which has been individually commented upon earlier in the document, overall acquisitive crime is reduced year on year this period. Whether inclusive of shoplifting figures or not the investigation of acquisitive crime in Perth and Kinross cumulatively finished the year ahead of 2025/26 increasing by 3.7%. The collective detection rate returned this period is the highest in any of the last 5 years and an example of the focus and commitment from the Division to reduce crime and apprehend offenders. Acquisitive Crime remains a significant focus for the Division. Locally, crimes are reviewed daily and scrutinised for emerging trends and threats. Local, Regional and National acquisitive crime structures exist within Police Scotland to ensure the bilateral flow of information within the organisation all with a view to combating serious and organised crime. Offenders often travel significant distances replicating their modus operandi across different Policing Divisions. To combat this, we have embraced new technology and more efficient methods of information sharing have been established. This allows early notification of crimes, descriptions of suspects and their vehicles. The roads network is of significant relevance to travelling recidivists. Roads Policing teams are well briefed on relevant offending and ever vigilant on patrols. As has been the case in previous years, the targeting of higher end vehicles from rural areas of Perth and Kinross has been evident this year. Impact has, however, been less than previously seen and perhaps an indication that the now established lines of communication and capitalisation of joint enforcement has been effective in deterring criminals. Within Perth and Kinross, the Policing for Our Community model has recently been implemented to enhance service delivery locally. In combination with local CID teams, the area is well placed to respond to acquisitive crime both proactively and as an investigative response to crime committed. Notable activities during the reporting period include: • Males aged 51 and 37 with no connections to the area, apprehended following two housebreakings in Pitlochry. • 31-year-old male arrested for housebreaking to commercial premises in Perth City Centre. • Males aged, 29 and 44 appeared at court charged with housebreaking to licenced premises in Perth. • Following a series of housebreakings targeting whisky distilleries, Perth CID reported five males aged 56, 44,36,44 and 35.
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OFFICIAL 19 | P a g e OFFICIAL • In response to several tradesman vans targeted for tools in the Auchterarder area a 20-year-old male was reported to COPFS. • Males aged 21, 19, 14 and 18 reported for multiple offences linked to the theft of copper wire in Dundee, Perth and Ayr. Local Priority/Activity – Make our roads safer Tragically Perth & Kinross LPA have suffered 8 fatalities for the period under review, this is an increase by one comparable with LYTD where we saw 7 fatalities. Locations of Fatal Road Traffic Collisions in Perth and Kinross 1st April 2025 – 31st March 2026 11/04/2025 – A827 Killin to Aberfeldy Road – Motorcyclist 26/04/2025 – Canal Street, Perth – Pedal Cycle 12/07/2025 – B996 Bein Inn to Glenfarg – Car Driver 23/07/2025 – Burnhead Road, Blairgowrie – Car Driver 17/08/2025 – B996 Kelty to Kinross – Passenger within car 28/11/2025 – A822 near Amulree – Car Driver 16/01/2026 – A9 NB north of Blair Atholl – Passenger within car 23/01/2026 – A912 near to Craigend – Car Driver Local Policing and RPU Officers have been proactively targeting driving behaviour which we believe will have the greatest impact on casualty reduction and address community concerns. Enforcement activity has concentrated on the Fatal 5 which are Dangerous/careless driving, drink/drug driving, Speeding, Seatbelts, and mobile phones. As a result, there have been significant increases in the number of offences of speeding and driving under the influence. The number of speeding offences rose from 214 last year to 420 this year. As would be expected, due to the nature of this crime type the detection rate is 100%.
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OFFICIAL 20 | P a g e OFFICIAL The number of people seriously injured because of collisions across Perth and Kinross has reduced from 93 down to 76. Road Safety enforcement continues to be carried out as part of routine business by the Road Policing Unit in Perth & Kinross LPA. Focused patrol work will be complemented using available technology and databases, intelligence target packages and specific tasking resulting from local Tasking & Coordinating processes to tackle criminality. Local Policing and RPU Officers have been able to target driving behaviour which we believe will have the greatest impact on casualty reduction and address community concerns. Enforcement activity has concentrated on the Fatal 5 which are Dangerous/careless driving, drink/drug driving, Speeding, Seatbelts, and mobile phones. Based on strategic assessment several priority locations have been identified within Perth & Kinross which were subject to focussed operation activity. Tayside Division priority routes include the following roads in the P&K Area; M90/A90 A9 A93 A85 A94 During the period under review Road Policing officers took part in several National Campaigns. • Summer Drink Drug Drive Campaign • National Mobile Phone Campaign • Motorcycle Safety campaign • Rider Refinement North • Vulnerable Road Users Campaigns • National Speeding Campaign • Operation Drive Insured
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OFFICIAL 21 | P a g e OFFICIAL • Festive Drink/Drug Driving Campaign • Fatal 5 Campaign • National Seatbelt Campaign • Commercial Vehicles Campaign Road Policing officers continue to provide high visibility and support to divisional officers throughout the Perth & Kinross area. It is recognised that positive engagement with road users is vital to improve driver and road user behaviour. Police resources are being challenged by the driving habits of vulnerable road users. However, we are committed to working effectively with partners locally to address these issues through education, enforcement, engineering, encouragement and evaluation all of which are delivered successfully through partnership collaboration and campaigns. New Drivers Scheme The New driver Scheme (NDS) continues to be delivered and well received within Tayside Division. The NDS is a presentation to raise awareness of road safety issues. The joint presentations, delivered by Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue service provide a solid reminder of the individual responsibilities that the driver has, both for themselves and for other road users. NDS has been delivered to several businesses and educational establishments throughout Perth & Kinross with positive feedback. Rider Refinement North (RRN) Rider Refinement North (RRN) has been run through the period under review with the last engagement session taking place in October. The RRN initiative is an opportunity for members of the public to purchase a day’s motorcycle awareness with Road Policing Advanced Riders accompanied by an observer from the IAM. The course includes a presentation, demo rides and observational rides, the course is designed as a gateway to advanced riding and is run in partnership with Local Authority, Road Safety Scotland, IAM & RoSPA. Delivery of RRN has received positive feedback
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OFFICIAL 22 | P a g e OFFICIAL with some excellent learning and opportunity to influence riding behaviour with candidates travelling from across Tayside to participate. This is about to re-commence for the year ahead. National Motorcycle Campaign The National motorcycle campaign was run on several occasions and continues this year and will again see RP focused patrols on priority motorcycle routes throughout the division with joint working with neighbouring divisions and the SCU to detect and deter any motorcycle offences. Operation Closepass Operation Closepass has again been delivered in Perth & Kinross LPA by Road Policing Officers working closely with Community Officers. The message is that everyone deserves to be able to use Scotland’s roads safely, and it is for all road users to take responsibility, whether they are on two, four or more wheels, powered or on foot. Driver Engagement North Driver Engagement North has been held across Tayside for the period under review. This is an opportunity for older drivers and their families to take part in an interactive driving session. Driver engagement is aimed at highlighting potential driving weaknesses. The Driver Engagement North project makes use of an interactive driving simulator to assess and highlight a participant's reactions, hazard awareness and any potential vulnerabilities. Several days have been dedicated to specific community engagement with drivers at locations throughout Perth & Kinross, including businesses within Perth and along the A9, which have included working alongside Driveability staff and other agencies as well as continued visits to schools and other community hubs and businesses. Local Priority Activity – Public Protection
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OFFICIAL 23 | P a g e OFFICIAL Sexual Crime Overall Group 2 crime figures of 2025/2026 recorded 426 crimes, higher than last year’s figure of 384 and 10.9 % higher than last year. Perth and Kinross is not an outlier in this regard, as the national average increase for this crime type is around 11%. Positively, detections rates have also improved, increasing to 67.1%, some 9.9% higher than the 5-year average and a 3% improvement on last year. Sustaining and improving on detections year on year is a significant feat and may, in part, also explain the increasing confidence of victims to report matters. There was an increase in recorded reports of rape, up to 100 rapes this year, which is an increase of 26.6% on last year but again, we see a parallel increase in detections, up to 71%. The majority of rape and sexual offences occur within the private space and are often perpetrated by persons who are known to the victim, either as a partner, friend, family member or associate. We also know that tragically, where the victim knows the perpetrator, they can be targeted on multiple occasions. A much smaller number of offences take place in public and/or perpetrated by a person entirely unknown to the victim. Rape and serious sexual offence investigation is complex and a large number of offences can relate to non-recent investigations, some extending back decades, which create additional challenges in evidence gathering and witness engagement but the nature and volume of this type of crime report should also be interpreted in positive terms as they demonstrate a real willingness by complainers to engage with police, even regarding older matters, confident that they will be listened to and their reports acted upon. All rape investigations continue to be conducted by specially trained Sexual Offence Liaison Officers (SOLOs) and are directed by a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO), usually at the rank of Detective Inspector. Any offences involving child victims are investigated by specially trained Child Protection Investigators and for any child reporting serious sexual offending they will be supported to provide their evidence under the Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM) and will be seen in our local Bairns Hoose hub in Perth. Rape and sexual crime are complex, and investigations can be protracted, but we engage regularly with our criminal justice partners to ensure they are sighted on significant enquires and can issue direction as necessary. Serious sexual crimes are subject to
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OFFICIAL 24 | P a g e OFFICIAL regular local reviews to ensure that all available lines of enquiry are identified and progressed, and we continue to engage with local support services to ensure victims are referred for support and perpetrators who are deemed to pose significant risk are targeted to minimise risk to others. Domestic Abuse These Domestic Abuse figures for Q4 in Perth and Kinross total 103 crimes for the entire financial year. These figures represent DASA only offences - The Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 (DASA) came into force on 1st April 2019. It allows the full circumstances of an abusive relationship, which can span a considerable period of time, to be reported under a single offence, provided there is a course of conduct (two or more offences committed with a unity of purpose.) DASA offences are up from 87 crimes last year and significantly up against the 5-year average. As with the introduction of any relatively new legislation, one would expect to see an overall increase in recording year on year as officers and partners across the criminal justice system become more familiar with applying it and widening and deepening their understanding of instances where libelling such an offence is appropriate. Positively, detections are also up, sitting at 70% for male victims and 79.6% for female victims. Police Scotland makes no distinction in conducting a professional investigation of such offences but clearly women and girls are much more frequently victims of domestic abuse, and these detection rates underline our commitment to tackling such abuse. All domestic incidents in Perth and Kinross are subject of review, both by management and the Divisional Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit (DAIU). Priority is given to the arrest of any outstanding perpetrators, who are routinely traced and arrested within 24/48 hours of a crime being reported and we continue to work closely with partner agencies to ensure appropriate safeguarding measures are in place for victims. The most significant perpetrators are referred into the MATAC process, with investigations progressed by the National Domestic Abuse Taskforce, demonstrating the value of the tiered policing response to domestic abuse investigations.
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OFFICIAL 25 | P a g e OFFICIAL MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) operates in Perth and Kinross and meets fortnightly to consider referrals for high- risk victims of domestic abuse. MARAC is victim focussed and provides a partnership forum for sharing information and taking actions that will reduce future harm to high-risk victims of domestic abuse and their children. The purpose of the MARAC is to: • Share information across agencies • Identify the level of risk presented by the perpetrator • Produce multi-agency action plans to reduce the risk to victims and their children Partners represented at MARAC in Perth and Kinross include Police Scotland, Community Justic Social Work, Children and Families social work, Health, Housing and Independent Domestic Abuse Advocates and other specialists from the statutory and voluntary sectors. Notable Activities during the reporting period include • In April 2025, a male was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment + 3 years extended licence, 99-year non harassment order & sex offenders register indefinitely for a catalogue of sexual offences and domestic abuse. • In December 2025 a male was charged and appeared at court in relation to 12 separate charges including serious sexual offences and domestic offending and awaits trial. Substance Misuse Radar Continued focus on the use of the Public Health Scotland Forum RADAR (Rapid Action Drug Alert and Response) to monitor changes in drug trends and further harms, with visibility of local and national alerts and appropriate escalation where required. Tayside Wide Overdose Prevention Meeting Consistent representation and participation in the bi-monthly meeting focusing on the identification and emergence of substance related trend, with the subsequent application of appropriate interventions and preventative messaging through public health.
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OFFICIAL 26 | P a g e OFFICIAL Local Priority/Activity – Enable and support effective engagement and communication with the public Teams across Perth and Kinross continue to arrange drop-in sessions to allow people an opportunity to speak with Officers about their concerns. We strive to ensure regular attendance of locality-based Officers across Perth and Kinross at the local Community Council meetings to provide visibility and assistance, discuss topical issues and provide context to communities about ongoing issues. Our Community Policing Teams have also carried out further engagement in the community including the below snapshot, • Perth City Centre shoplifting days of action. • Joint operation with trading standards targeting counterfeit goods. • Bike Marking Schemes. • Speeding initiatives. • Engagement sessions at schools and colleges throughout Perth and Kinross. • Joint operations with SPS at HMP Perth. • Seasonal events In response to community concerns, our community policing teams have had the following positive results and engagement • Drugs Search Warrant executed in Crieff resulting in class A drugs with an estimated value of £4200 and four-figure sum of cash being seized. One suspect was arrested and charged • Road Safety Day of Action in South Perthshire resulted in 2 Conditional Offers and 4 Reports to COPFS for driving offences • Increasing reports of anti-social behaviour by youths in the Blairgowrie area has led to targeted days of action, engaging with schools and parents to highlight the issues • Perth community police officers have participated in street sports sessions with young people at Letham Hub. • 2 Suron bikes were seized during enforcement action in Perth following increased reports of anti-social behaviour.
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OFFICIAL 27 | P a g e OFFICIAL Asylum Seekers The local community team has continuous engagement with the two Perth hotels housing asylum seekers run by MEARS. The daily contact and weekly visits seek to review any community safety issues, protests, welfare issues or hate crime. Guidance is regularly issued around use of Migrant Help services and contacts for dealing with incidents to enhance service delivery and experiences of asylum seekers. Regular engagement with the third sector agencies including the Perth Minorities Association and the Scottish Refugee Council. Fearless Fearless is a part of the Crimestoppers charity. It is a site where young people can access non-judgemental information and advice about crime and criminality. The website provides a safe place to give information about crime through a secure online form which is 100% anonymous. Fearless is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - 365 days a year. Crimestoppers have been actively advertising the resource to school and partners; most recently in relation to County Lines, Gang Culture and Knife Crime.