Appendix 1 - P&K Local Policing Area End of Year Police Report
Perth and Kinross Council · 19 June 2024
Back to Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee — 19 June 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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OFFICIAL 1 | P a g e OFFICIAL Perth and Kinross Council Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee Police Scotland end of year report
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OFFICIAL 2 | P a g e OFFICIAL Contents Page Introduction and Overview of Local Policing Priorities 3 Police Scotland’s strategic objectives 4 Perth and Kinross Local Policing Plan 2023-2026 5 Performance on a Page 6 • Local Priority/Activity – Address violence through preventative and enforcement measures 7 - 9 • Local Priority/Activity – Deal with disorder and antisocial behaviour 10 -11 • Local Priority/Activity – Tackle acquisitive crime and support victims 12 - 14 • Local Priority/Activity – Make our roads safer 15 • Local Priority Activity - Public Protection 16 - 20 • Local Priority/Activity – Enable and support effective engagement and communication with the public 21 - 28 National Priority – Use innovative approaches to accelerate capacity and capability for effective service deliver 29 - 31 • National Priority – Prioritise Wellbeing and keep our people safe, well equipped and protected 32 - 34
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OFFICIAL 3 | P a g e OFFICIAL 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. This end of year report covers the period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. 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 a number of key performance measures and insights questions 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 5 | P a g e OFFICIAL
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OFFICIAL 6 | P a g e OFFICIAL Performance on a Page - 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024 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 4 792 797 873 -0.6% -9.3% 31.8% 31.4% 40.7% 0.5% -8.9% ASB Incidents 6004 6267 7578 -4.2% -20.8% - - - - - Violence Robbery 40 38 33 5.3% 22.0% 82.5% 78.9% 82.9% 3.6% -0.4% Serious Assault 107 73 76 46.6% 40.8% 85.0% 87.7% 87.1% -2.6% -2.1% Common Assault (excl EW) 1028 1122 970 -8.4% 6.0% 68.8% 70.0% 69.7% -1.2% -0.9% Public Protection Overall Group 2 320 396 368 -19.2% -13.1% 60.0% 60.1% 54.8% -0.1% 5.2% Rape 52 60 73 -13.3% -28.6% 37.5% 75.0% 58.7% -37.5% -21.2% Domestic Abuse 53 53 - 0.0% - 67.9% 56.6% - 11.3% - Road Safety Speeding offences 319 451 2081 -29.3% -84.7% 99.4% 100.4% 100.0% -1.1% 0.4% Drink / Drug Driving 173 146 188 18.5% -8.0% 103.5% 90.4% 93.7% 13.1% -3.3% Acquisitive Crime HBs 181 212 223 -14.6% -18.8% 28.7% 30.2% 29.5% -1.5% -0.8% Dwelling HBs 77 102 89 -24.5% -13.5% 27.3% 21.6% 20.7% 5.7% 6.6% Motor Vehicle Crime 210 205 230 2.4% -8.6% 42.4% 36.6% 36.2% 5.8% 6.2% Fraud 404 339 236 19.2% 71.2% 11.9% 14.7% 23.1% -2.9% -11.3% Shoplifting 787 516 556 52.5% 41.6% 53.2% 48.1% 69.1% 5.2% -15.8% 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 Local Priority/Activity – Address violence through preventative and enforcement measures The approach to violent crime in the Perth & Kinross local authority area continues to be delivered via a blend of preventative and enforcement activity. Perth & Kinross remains a safe place to live and when violent crime does occur there is a high detection rate with offenders quickly brought to justice. The following paragraphs will review performance figures up to the end of Q4 across a range of crime types Murder/Attempted murder • 2 Murders were recorded within the 2023/24 year an increase from zero the previous year. The first murder was recorded in Q1, the accused remains on remand with trial set for later this year. • 1 Murder was recorded during this reporting period. The incident occurred on 17th February 2024 whereby a 66-year-old male from Aberfeldy was shot whilst walking near to his home address. The investigation remains ongoing and is being led by Detectives from the Major Investigation Team with support from local officers. On Monday 27th May, a 75-year-old male appeared at Perth Sheriff Court in connection with the death. He was remanded in custody and a trial date will be set soon. • 1Attempted Murder has been recorded in Q4 of 2023/24, a slight decrease on the 2 reported in the same period last year. This took place on 28th January 2024 and saw a 35-year-old male attacked with a bladed weapon. The incident took place in a main public street in Milnathort, a 34-year-old male, known to the victim, was arrested promptly following the attack. • Overall Attempted Murder occurrence rates have improved, 4 have been recorded for the 2023/24 period compared to 6 the year previous. • Of the 4 recorded, 3 occurred in Q1 and 1 in Q4. Serious assault • 28 serious assaults were committed in Q4 of 2023/24. This is a slight increase (6 crimes) compared to the same period last year. Serious assaults have posed a challenge in terms of volume during 2023/24, overall we have an increase of 46.6%. Despite this increase however, overall detection rates remain positive with only 2.6% lower than the previous year.
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OFFICIAL 8 | P a g e OFFICIAL • Analysis reveals nearly 70% of serious assaults for the year were committed near the centre of Perth, of which 34% were committed in public spaces with just over a quarter committed in either a Prison or Hospital setting. HMP Perth alone has recorded 18 serious assaults more this year than last which is significant. Robberies • 14 robberies/attempts were recorded during the period under review. February saw the second highest count of robberies for any month with a total of 7 recorded. Incidence of weapons being used in the commission of a robbery remains low and accounts for only 8% of crimes recorded. • 2023/24 concluded with a cumulative total of 2 more robberies/attempts than the previous year. Despite this slight increase, annual detection rates improved by 3.6% for 2023/24, public space remains the most common location for the crime to be committed and accounts for nearly half. • 84% of victims knew their attacker, therefore it is clear that ‘stranger’ attacks remain rare. The locality based Reactive CID model has undoubtedly assisted in the investigation and detection of the increased serious crime volume. All complex or protracted crimes not yet resolved are owned and investigated by experienced Detective Officers ensuring robust enquiry. In response to identified frequency of offending within the City Centre particularly around the nighttime economy, additional focus has been given to policing these areas. Response and Community Teams along with specialist support from within Reactive CID and Prevention, Intervention and Partnership colleagues have collectively tailored a response focussed on both prevention and detection of offending. Support from partners has afforded opportunities with Community Safety Wardens and Street Pastors continuing to provide vital input. Ongoing engagement with local businesses is now well established, in Perth City we continue to conduct joint patrols of “hot spots” and licensed premises with partners including Community Safety Wardens and Street Pastors as part of Operations STUNG and CENTRE SAFE. To coordinate this activity we hold weekly meetings with colleagues in Community Safety to review incidents and inform patrol activity and now also regularly conduct street briefings to increase visibility. Continued strong links with the Scottish Prison Service have featured with recent collaboration around Crime Scene Management and forensic awareness. This has borne benefit particularly given increased offending rates. Population and drug supply are
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OFFICIAL 9 | P a g e OFFICIAL undoubtedly two factors impacting increased violence recorded. A tailored response plan is in place to respond to Drone incidents with significant work undertaken by Architectural Liaison Officers and through support from P&K Council to target harden. A dedicated Prison Liaison Officer (PLO) continues to drive forward local enquiry on a scale that features impressively against other Prison Estates nationally. Notable detections for the period under review include: • A 19 year old male arrested following a robbery involving a weapon at retail premises in North Methven Street, Perth. • 2 males and 1 female aged 27, 26 and 39 respectively, arrested following the robbery of a 36 year old vulnerable male in Jura Street, Perth. • A 34 year old male arrested for attempted murder whilst in possession of a weapon in Milnathort. • A 28-year-old female arrested following a serious assault of 26 year old male in Letham. • 7 separate incidences of serious injury detected following prisoner on prisoner attacks within HMP Perth. • Arrest of a 36 year old male for serious assault committed near High Street, Auchterarder involving a baton style weapon.
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OFFICIAL 10 | P a g e OFFICIAL Local Priority/Activity – Deal with disorder and antisocial behaviour • Overall, incidents of Anti-Social Behaviour reduced by 4.2% year to date and are 20.8% lower than the 5 year average. • 212 crimes of vandalism were recorded during the period under review which is a significant decrease of 15.6% from the same period last year (36 less crimes). • 12 crimes of fire raising were recorded year to date, this is an increase of 7 crimes compared to the same period last year. Perth and Kinross LPA continue to work closely with partners delivering a multi-agency response alongside Housing, Community Safety and SFRS conducting reviews of all ASB calls, thereafter, sharing with the relevant partner to mitigate the risk. Weekly meetings are attended by Partnerships Interventions and Preventions (PIP) 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 and Kinross has had 3 Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and 7 Anti-Social Behaviour agreements and only 1 breach of ASBO. For 2023/24, officers in Perth and Kinross have proactively shared 261 anti-social behaviour incidents and received 385 requests for information. Information is shared with the Community Safety Team as part of our joint working at St Martins House, Perth in line with the Data Protection Act. This includes information on reported disturbances, loud music, nuisance, and criminal damage all of which are reviewed and receive a collaborative approach to tackle the issue. The collaborative approach allows effective engagement with youths, installation of sound monitors, ASBOs or referrals to VSS. Partner Intelligence Portal Training has been delivered to the PKC Community Safety Team and Visitor Rangers, this is a system which enables partners to record intelligence relating to any criminality or ASB, this process has been positively welcomed and has improved the intelligence picture within Perth & Kinross. Licensing
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OFFICIAL 11 | P a g e OFFICIAL For the period under review, the Police licensing team have processed 914 applications for the Perth and Kinross area. This comprised 295 applications for occasional licenses, personal licences and variations to premise licences. 102 renewals and grants for taxi / private hire operators and driver renewals. 415 applications for the grant of a Short Term Let licence. The remaining applications include grants and renewals for public entertainment licences, second hand dealers, animal boarding, skin piercing / tattooing, late hours catering and window cleaners. 23 recorded ASB incidents were at or in the immediate vicinity of licensed premises. 151 inspections were carried out throughout Perth and Kinross area, with no premise identified as problematic during this period. The licensing team have also carried out joint operations with the local authority targeting taxi drivers through this period which resulted in the removal of 3 licenses which related to failure to adhere to the conditions of the licence. All second-hand dealer shops within Perth City centre were also subject to a full inspection with no major issues discovered. The Police Licensing Team are regularly deployed to football matches, as part of their deployment carry out licensed premises checks. This activity will continue upon the commencement of the new season. In March a joint operation involving Police, Home Office and trading standards, Operation Broom, removed illicit tobacco and vapes from shops in Perth City Centre which equated to £17355.
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OFFICIAL 12 | P a g e OFFICIAL Local Priority/Activity – Tackle acquisitive crime and support victims Levels of Acquisitive Crime continue to be impacted by the cost of living crisis, with increases in occurrence rates across a range of Acquisitive Crimes seen nationally. Our tactical approach to Acquisitive Crimes continues to be directed by the work of the Divisional Acquisitive Crime Group, which meets monthly and is chaired by the Detective Chief Inspector, Reactive CID. This groups brings together representatives from across local and national Divisions who are working within Tayside, including representatives of our Roads Policing Unit, Specialist Crime Division and Operational Support Units. The groups are supported by the inclusion of a Community Crime analyst, who brings a detailed analytical document for discussion to ensure that resources are best targeted towards repeat offenders, areas where crime levels are higher and those crime types which are causing most community concern. The Divisional Acquisitive Crime Team and wider Reactive CID continue to take responsibility for investigating crimes series in the Perth & Kinross area. This provides enhanced investigative ability and targeted resources. The Acquisitive Crime Team meet every morning with colleagues from neighbouring Divisions. This results in links to cross border crime series being identified quickly, maximising intelligence / evidential opportunities and delivering cohesive regional crime investigations. • Domestic Housebreakings are significantly reduced for 2023/24 with 25 crimes less recorded than the previous year. For the period under review, again a significant decrease with 14 crimes recorded compared to 29 for the same period last year. Detection rates are also improved with a 28% increase for 2023/24, it should also be noted that a number of ongoing investigations have positive lines of inquiry which may continue to improve the detection rate. • Non dwelling housebreakings such as garages and outbuildings are relatively low in number averaging around 3 per month, this is also an improvement from the same period last year. 75% of these crimes occur in rural town and villages as opposed central Perth. • Commercial Housebreakings are also reduced compared with the same period last year with 7 less crimes recorded for 2023/24. • Overall Housebreaking occurrence rates are -14.6% down on the previous year and remain well below 5 year average. • Theft of Motor Vehicles is a standalone category within Motor Vehicle crime, for 2023/24 we have had an increase with 22 more crimes recorded. This has been subject of ongoing analysis throughout the year, around 21% of motor vehicle thefts or attempts take place in Perth City. Blairgowrie and Alyth are the next standouts, however significantly lower volumes. Similar to non-dwelling Housebreakings, rural thefts show little by way of pattern making prevention significantly more difficult.
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OFFICIAL 13 | P a g e OFFICIAL • 118 crimes across the remaining Motor Vehicle categories for 2023/24, this is a significant reduction compared to the same period last year with 17 crimes less recorded. • Perth and Kinross continue to see disproportionate impact from non- resident offenders in relation to Acquisitive Crime. For 2023/24, Perth and Kinross LPA have detected a number of traveling criminals from Fife, Edinburgh and Dundee. • There are now well established Acquisitive Crime leads within respective Divisions of Police Scotland. These strong lines of communication are pivotal to identifying emerging crimes trends and bringing offenders to justice and have borne significant success. Locality based Reactive CID take ownership of all high value or linked series acquisitive crime. Support is also available from Divisional Acquisitive leads to ensure cross border trends and offending are quickly identified. Nationally Frameworks are in place to ensure the investigation of specific offending is joined up and opportunities maximised. This is evident with high value housebreakings where victims are targeted based on ethnicity, occupation, access to certain vehicles or a combination of all. The theft of Ford Fiesta ST vehicles is worthy of particularly mention with a small but significant number having been stolen in Perthshire. This is a trend somewhat specific to the Northeast with crime ranging from the Borders to Aberdeenshire. Tactical options are key where suspect or stolen vehicles are detected by mobile patrols. Greater collaborative working between Response, Road Policing and CID officers has facilitated crime cars specifically tasked priority matrix patrols. Shoplifting statistics whilst concerning in relation to increased volume are likely the consequence of engagement with stakeholders and increased confidence in reporting. The national picture highlights shoplifting is increasing everywhere with Perth and Kinross showing increase below the National average. Despite increased volume, detections remain very positive compared against previous years. Continued proactive focus towards high tariff offenders as a priority, increased visibility and the continuation of the business safety partnership meetings has created some respite throughout the year. Reports of Fraud continue to increase however not as steeply as previously recorded. Our increase is at the lower end of what is replicated nationally. High value frauds are either triaged by the Economic Financial Investigation Unit or a local Financial Investigator to appropriately identify lines of enquiry and immediate actions.
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OFFICIAL 14 | P a g e OFFICIAL Notable detection from Perth & Kinross for the period under review include: • A 39 year old male of no fixed abode, arrested and charged with 14 linked acquisitive offences in Perth City and Northern Perthshire • Following investigation into a Housebreaking in Perth a 19 year old male was arrested and charged with 5 linked offences. • A 26 year old male from Dundee reported for Theft by Housebreaking including theft of a vehicle from Blairgowrie • In response to a significant crimes’ series extending from Dundee through the Carse of Gowrie, into Perth and north to Pitlochry, 3 males aged 25, 21 and 18 were charged with a total of 26 linked offences. • In a crime series at the turn of the year Angus and Perth and Kinross saw commercial housebreaking committed by a 21 year old male from Edinburgh. • In January 2024, a 22 year old male from Romania was arrested in relation to 4 outstanding housebreakings in southern Perthshire. • Targeted enforcement in relation to prolific repeat shoplifters. A 31 year old male was arrested and charged with 40 outstanding offences in addition to pending cases which have been reported out with the reporting period. The male has been sentenced to 18 months in prison in relation to this.
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OFFICIAL 15 | P a g e OFFICIAL Local Priority/Activity – Make our roads safer Positively, Perth and Kinross suffered no road traffic fatalities in Q4. However sadly the total number of fatalities for Perth & Kinross for 2023/24 is 4, this is a 50% decrease in fatal collisions compared to the same period last year. There were 9 serious injury road traffic collisions during Q4, bringing the year-to-date figure to 69 which is a 23% decrease in the number of persons seriously injured within Perth & Kinross. High visibility road safety enforcement continues to be routine business for the Road Policing Unit with a continued focus on the Fatal 5, which has the greatest impact on casualty reduction and addresses community concerns. New Young Drivers Scheme continues to be delivered across Perth and Kinross targeting those aged 17-25 years of age who are statistically more likely to be involved in a collision. The aim, to raise awareness of road safety and influence road user behaviour. Notable activities during the reporting period include: • Joint presentation delivered to Housing and Wellbeing Committee by police and SFRS • National Seatbelt campaign Perth City • A90 day of action targeting fatal 5 offences • A9 day of action targeting fatal 5 offences • National mobile phone day of action Perth City • Speed checks conducted across Perth and Kinross by our local Community Policing Teams and Divisional Roads Policing Unit. • Enforcement activity at School exclusion zones in response to concerns raised by members of local communities.
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OFFICIAL 16 | P a g e OFFICIAL Local Priority Activity – Public Protection • 52 rapes were recorded during the reporting period 2023/24, this is a 13% reduction compared to the same period last year, this figure is significantly below the 5-year average which is 73. • The detection rate for Rape is down 37.5% from last year and down 21.2% on the 5year average. • Overall sexual crime has seen a reduction in reported cases from 396 last year to 320 this year. • The detection rate for overall sexual offences remains similar to the previous year at 60% compared with 60.1% the previous year. This is an increase on the 5-year average of 54.8%. Rape and Sexual Crime The crime of Rape and other serious Sexual offences can have a profound impact on victims both psychologically and physically and can affect community confidence. Police Scotland is committed to protecting people considered vulnerable and prevent all forms of abuse, neglect and exploitation including domestic abuse, child sexual abuse & exploitation, rape and sexual crime, hate crime. The focus of any Rape or Sexual crime investigation must be victim focused with the safety and wellbeing of victims being our primary concern. Rape and sexual crime inquiries can be complex and difficult to investigate, evidence and progress to prosecution. Investigations can be protracted and in some cases victims will have waited to report offences for a number of years. In a number of cases, multiple crime reports will have been raised in respect of one report from one victim, detailing multiple incidents over a period of time. In Q4 there has been a significant decrease in overall sexual crimes recorded in Perth and Kinross in comparison to 2022/2023 levels (decrease of 76 crimes), the reported crimes are also below the 5 year average. Detection rates for overall Sexual crime remain positive in comparison with last year and the 5 year average figures. The level of recorded crime for Rape is lower in comparison with last year with 8 fewer crimes recorded, this is also below the 5 year average. Detections for rape are significantly lower in comparison (50% lower) however the reported figures will include a number of investigations that remain under active investigation by specialist units including the Divisional Rape Investigation Unit and National
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OFFICIAL 17 | P a g e OFFICIAL Rape Task Force. All Rape investigations are conducted by specially trained officers and are overseen by an experienced Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) and are subject to regular review to ensure that all available lines of enquiry are identified and progressed. Risk and Concern The police Risk and Concern Hub is responsible for identifying and prioritising the response where information suggests an individual may be experiencing adversity and / or vulnerability. This is at the heart of improving the wellbeing and safety of people. Police Scotland’s interim Vulnerable Persons Database (iVPD) records information about individuals who are, or are perceived to be, experiencing some form of adversity and / or situational vulnerability which may impact on their current or future wellbeing. Adversity is often defined as a difficult or unfortunate event or circumstance. Most people face some form of adversity at one point in their life while some face adversity more than others. The database also records incidents where there has been a response required in respect of adult or child protection and domestic abuse. The Risk and Concern Hub has a primary role in identifying and sharing information about children and adults who may have protection or wellbeing needs that requires intervention or support from statutory partners. The process does not change existing child and adult protection arrangements and is, in fact, designed to complement them, particularly in relation to repeat and escalating wellbeing concerns. During the reporting period 1436 Concern Reports were generated in relation to people residing in Perth and Kinross, risk assessed and processed by police, with a substantial proportion being shared with partner agencies. Escalation The principle of escalation is to identify victims, subjects of concern and perpetrators whose behaviour or exposure to risk is increasing and to deliver appropriate measures of care, support, targeted intervention, or statutory protection measures at the earliest opportunity. Escalation is triggered on the number of Concern Reports received in relation to an individual / family in a 30 day rolling period.
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OFFICIAL 18 | P a g e OFFICIAL Each trigger point will dictate a different response that may include, but not limited to: • Consideration of a professionals’ meeting or similar; • Referred for consideration of an IRD where the review reveals issues amounting to or potentially amounting to child or adult protection; • Highlighting the concern to divisional partnership coordinators to liaise with external partners; • If this escalation relates to a Domestic Abuse victim, consider MARAC processes; • If this escalation relates to a Domestic Abuse perpetrator, consider MATAC processes; • Consider highlighting escalation to DAIU / Safeguarding Team for additional victim support / perpetrator management; • Briefing Local Area Commanders for tasking a local policing response (especially relevant where there is limited multi-agency support); • Consideration of holding an internal police meeting; • For children, assessing whether the subject requires referral to SCRA. Within the reporting period 168 escalations were completed involving people residing in Perth and Kinross LPA. Adult Support and Protection Case Conferences, IRDs and Professionals’ Meetings Adult Support and Protection Case Conferences, IRDs and Professionals’ Meetings are formal meetings to discuss and share concerns regarding harm or risk of harm to an adult. They allow professionals to share information about concern and normally involve only those who have a contribution to make to protect an adult. They can also be used to consider whether they meet the three-point test and would be opened to Adult Support and Protection proceeding. During the reporting period Risk and Concern Hub staff were involved in 87 Adult Protection multi-agency meetings involving people residing in Perth and Kinross LPA. Quality Assurance During the reporting period a multi-agency audit of Adult Support and Protection IRDs was carried out identifying good practice, with the aim of assisting continuous improvement and helping to deliver on better outcomes for those in our communities subject to Adult Support and Protection processes.
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OFFICIAL 19 | P a g e OFFICIAL Multi-Agency Tasking and Coordination (MATAC) Multi-Agency Tasking and Coordination (MATAC) meetings were introduced nationally by Police Scotland in 2013, in accordance with Priority 4 of the Scottish Government Equally Safe strategy, which seeks to ensure perpetrators ‘receive a robust and effective response’. The aim of MATAC is to effectively tackle offending by perpetrators who present the greatest risk of harm, in order to achieve positive outcomes for victims and their families through coordinated partnership work to identify and investigate domestic abuse perpetrators using relevant and legitimate police tactics. MATAC meetings take place in Tayside Division held every four weeks. During the reporting period 5 males from the Perth and Kinross Area were subject of active investigation as part of the MATAC process. County Lines County Lines refers to drug dealers from large cities who expand their operations into smaller towns. They endeavour to exploit young and vulnerable people to sell drugs, carry cash and weapons – bringing violence, coercion and abuse. They may also take over a vulnerable person’s house – known as cuckooing’. March saw the County Lines Intesification Week which included a period of enforcement and education across many groups and agencies. The Perth and Kinross Partnerships team along with the Community Safety Team carried out proactive visits to 15 individuals in Perth and Kinross, who were assessed as being at risk of cuckooing or linked offences. Partners such as NHS, third Sector, as well as local hotel premises were visited to raise awareness around County Lines.
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OFFICIAL 20 | P a g e OFFICIAL Non-Fatal Overdose Pathway (NFOD) - Officers within the Partnerships team continue to attend the Daily Multi-Agency Near-Fatal Overdose meetings sharing relevant information in relation to any person who has experienced a non-fatal overdose as a result of the consumption of suspected illicit substances. Over the period of April 1st 2023 to 31st March 2024 there were 86 discussions held at the Perth and Kinross NFOD with a multi-agency response developed to ensure a holistic approach is taken to the interventions applied, with positive engagement and harm reduction delivered for those involved. Up to and inclusive of 31st March 2024, there had been 94 incidents in Scotland where nasal Naloxone has been administered by a police officer to persons suspected to be in a state of overdose. There were no instances of Naloxone being administered by Police in Perth and Kinross during this period. Drug Related Deaths Over the previous 12 months, 15 deaths were highlighted and initially investigated as suspected drug related. Within the reporting period Perth and Kinross have 3 deaths recorded. P&K Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec YTD Total 2019 2 1 4 2 0 1 2 1 0 3 1 3 20 2020 1 3 3 2 1 7 2 1 3 4 1 5 33 2021 0 2 2 3 3 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 16 2022 1 3 1 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 2 1 15 2023 2 0 2 0 3 3 2 0 1 1 0 3 17 2024 3 0 0 3 All drugs’ deaths are shared with partners following receipt of post-mortem and toxicology confirming the cause of death to be related to illicit substance, and in accordance with the agreed national protocol for sharing.
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OFFICIAL 21 | P a g e OFFICIAL Local Priority/Activity – Enable and support effective engagement and communication with the public Asylum Seekers The Police Partnerships Interventions and Prevention 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 to local policing around use of Migrant Help services and contacts for dealing with incidents to enhance service delivery and experiences of asylum seekers. Keep Safe Keep Safe is the award-winning initiative developed in partnership with Police Scotland and I Am Me Scotland. The initiative works with a network of local businesses to create 'Keep Safe' places in the community for anyone feeling lost, frightened or who has been a victim of crime. There are currently 43 Keep Safe premises across Perth and Kinross with venues recently re-visited to ensure compliance to the required standards. Due to the post covid backlog in checks, the charity Inclusive Living Perth obtained National Lottery Funding to secure a staff member to assist Police in checks and training delivery. Training is also due to be delivered to the Community Wardens from the Community Safety Team who will support awareness raising and compliance checks moving forward. 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.
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OFFICIAL 22 | P a g e OFFICIAL Schools and Young People Police Scotland understands the importance of engaging with our young people across Perth and Kinross. This community engagement with young people provides reassurance, provides a chance to engage and builds community bonds. As such we have a dedicated preventions officer in Tayside that engages with education and young people, as well as local community officers that engage regularly with schools and youth clubs. Over the final quarter of the reporting period Police carried out a number of engagement inputs as follows, Jan 2024 Online safety session for S4 at Morrisons Academy Online Safety session for P7 at Crieff Primary School Consent and sexual violence for S5 at Morrisons Academy Online safety for P6 at Crieff Primary School Feb 2024 S3 NHS drama tour across all secondary schools in Perth and Kinross – a partnership event organised by NHS Tayside but attended by all partners including the Police. This takes place over 10 weeks across the whole of Tayside covering any problems associated with S3 aged young people. Virtual Safetaysiders for P7 pupils. This is anticipated to be the last virtual session before a return to in person events. LGBTQ+ youth event at Bells Library, Perth Mar 2024 Continuation of S3 NHS drama tour Hate crime session to students and staff at Perth College School inputs at Morrisons Academy; P1/P2 – People who help us, P6/P7 – online safety, S6 – Hate crime and Misogyny During the reporting period local officers have been promoting the following through social media: • Sextortion / Blackmail for online safety. • Fraud / Scam – gift cards safety
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OFFICIAL 23 | P a g e OFFICIAL • Rural Crime and After Dark safety / advice • Milnathort – Road Safety / Speed • Road Safety / Weather warnings • Keyless Car Theft advice • Shut Out Scammers campaign • PSYV inputs – recruitment • Perth Cyclist safety information • Think Winter / Mountain Rescue advice • Wildlife Crime – Badgers • Purple Alert (Alzheimer’s Scotland) Campaign. Linked with Missing Persons • Motorcycle Safety Campaign • Hate Hurts – Hate Crime campaign Your Police is open all year and is available for anyone to complete at any time to provide feedback to their local police service. It is fully accessible on our online Engagement Hub (paper copies are available) which meets legislative standards for accessibility and is compatible with browser translation. It is available in British Sign Language and alternative languages and formats on request. We have gathered around 100,000 responses to this survey since its launch in 2019. Responses help shape policing in local areas. The User Experience Survey is sent to a sample of around 14,000 people each month who have contacted the police. An invitation to participate in the survey is sent via text message. The sample is made up of a representative number of people who have contacted the police to report crime (calls, online reporting, email, face to face) from all areas in Scotland over the previous month. Around 1,800 people respond each month to share their feedback on the quality of the service they received. This survey has been delivered in this format since 2020. To ensure our data is robust and independent, research fieldwork is delivered by our social research partner, Progressive Partnership Ltd. Anonymous data is gathered and presented in a number of Insight Dashboards available to all within Police Scotland which helps inform local service delivery. We Asked, You Said, We Did feedback is shared regularly on social media channels, nationally and locally, to ensure we communicate in a dialogue with the public about what we are doing to respond to what they told us. Our
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OFFICIAL 24 | P a g e OFFICIAL drivers of public confidence are shaped based on our rich understanding of the data. We know that service visibility and accessibility, community engagement and how our people demonstrate our values and behaviours all drive positive user interactions and maintain public confidence within the service. The statements below are presented to respondents in our Your Police survey. They are invited to rate to what extent they agree or disagree with the statement. Figures below include those who said they strongly agree and agree, excluding don’t know and not answered. Numbers in brackets indicate the sample size (total number of respondents). We do not report on less than 20 respondents to ensure robustness of data. Public Opinion Statements D Division Q1 22/23 (24) Q2 22/23 (1052) Q3 22/23 (361) Q4 22/23 (122) Q1 23/24 (16) Q2 23/24 (649) Q3 23/24 (152) Q4 23/24 (142) Change on last Quarter Feel safe in their local area 83% 88% 84% 76% 78% 82% 74% -8% Police listen to concerns of local people 50% 36% 40% 38% 28% 29% 28% -1% Local police are friendly and approachable 70% 67% 64% 61% 63% 64% 60% -4%
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OFFICIAL 25 | P a g e OFFICIAL Public Opinion Statements Perth & Kinross Q1 22/23 (9) Q2 22/23 (460) Q3 22/23 (108) Q4 22/23 (51) Q1 23/24 (3) Q2 23/24 (217) Q3 23/24 (72) Q4 23/24 (57) Change on last Quarter Feel safe in their local area 91% 83% 78% 81% 88% 74% -14% Police listen to concerns of local people 35% 30% 35% 32% 30% 27% -2% Local police are friendly and approachable 71% 61% 62% 61% 65% 61% -4% Less Safe Locations Locations people are concerned about in their community are gathered via our Your Police survey. Respondents are asked to mark areas on a map and then name locations where they feel less safe, along with comments about what makes the location feel less safe and any ideas for what would make it safer. This data can be shared to foster understanding at local and national levels about what locations in communities are causing concern and to inspire collaborative responses where necessary. The locations which respondents highlighted in respect of Perth and Kinross are South Street and High Street, Perth.
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OFFICIAL 26 | P a g e OFFICIAL User experience and public confidence We know from our own research and academic studies that levels of public confidence and experience of contacting and interacting with police are not always connected. Not everyone responding to our Your Police survey has had contact or directly engaged with the police, so their view on confidence is shaped by other factors, such as community feeling towards the police, news and media reporting or others’ experiences. This means that public confidence figures alone are not an accurate measure for the quality of service being provided in communities. However, research evidence suggests public confidence and perceptions can impact likelihood of someone contacting, approaching and cooperating with police. Overall satisfaction nationally with contacting the police was at 71% in Quarter 4, up 2 percentage points from the previous quarter. Satisfaction has remained between 66%-71% in the 2023-24 financial year. Detailed below are our User Experience results for D Division local authority areas. Overall Satisfaction D Division Perth & Kinross Dundee City Angus 68% 78% 54% 87% Areas for consideration The key concern for respondents was a lack of follow-up once their incident had been reported. 52% of respondents in D division in Q4 stating feeling adequately informed about the progress of their incident. Not being given enough information may lead to decreased feelings of safety and confidence in policing and cause further demand. Updating people once an incident has been reported or attended may increase confidence both in the police, and in their ability to report future incidents.
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OFFICIAL 27 | P a g e OFFICIAL Receiving an appropriate response was a key driver of negative experiences. Two thirds of responses (66%) reported feeling that the police provided an appropriate response. Key themes for those respondents mentioned a slow or no response for reported incidents or having to call 101/999 multiple times for the same incident. This is an area where C3 are exploring how to make improvements to the Contact Assessment Model with awareness of the increased demand on local policing. The public value officers who show understanding, compassion and listen to individuals’ needs. The values and behaviours demonstrated in these positive interactions are core drivers of public confidence alongside visibility, accessibility and presence and community engagement. Positive feedback is available in our PowerBI insight dashboards for local policing colleagues to use for reward and recognition to support a positive workplace culture with feedback at heart. Wider context – Trust in public service delivery Progressive Partnership Ltd is commissioned by Police Scotland to undertake research to increase understanding of trust in Police Scotland as an institution and the factors influencing this (e.g., media, local crime rates and engagement with officers and staff). Quarterly online quantitative survey, including open-ended questions; recruiting a broadly representative robust sample (at the national level) of 1,000 people in Scotland. The public have a negative sentiment to Police Scotland’s ability to provide effective policing services with a reduced budget. 39% (n=311) of a nationally representative sample (n=1,002) of adults in Scotland in Q4 felt this will have negative effects on public service delivery. 13% (n=104) of respondents felt services were already stretched and funding currently too low (7% n=58). Only 1% (n=10) worry about the effect of a reduced budget on estates/stations closing. Public sentiment is more concerned with having a police service that is adequately staffed (9% n=71); visible (5% n=41); responsive (3% n=20); has the right priorities (2% n=19) and is suitably well equipped (2% n=15). There is a worry that a reduced budget will see increases in crime, which will then go on to not be investigated and solved. 3% (n=21) of respondents worry this will affect their risk of harm, as they are not confident the police will be able to protect them. We know it is a challenging time for policing nationally. Hard choices are being taken to deliver effective policing within the revenue budget available to us. Our service draws together the strategic direction of policing with research, insight and engagement to enable the service to build a robust understanding of the drivers of trust and confidence, and what is needed to enable positive
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OFFICIAL 28 | P a g e OFFICIAL experiences with people who contact us for help. Understanding more about trust and confidence enables the service to respond to community needs more effectively. This service is important when considering strategic choices i.e., the future of our estates and giving a proportionate response to crime. We need to understand and be sensitive to community concerns around feelings of safety, confidence and trust and communicate how future changes in the way we do things are helping put the needs of our communities at the heart of what we do. Involving the public, communities and partners in the way we do things is vital if we are to maintain public confidence in policing.
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OFFICIAL 29 | P a g e OFFICIAL National Priority – Use innovative approaches to accelerate capacity and capability for effective service delivery Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) DESC is a programme of work to deliver operational and legislative change, supported by new technology, for the collection and sharing of digital evidence at every stage of a criminal case and prosecution across the criminal justice sector. DESC is currently being trialled in a small number of areas of the country and has now been extended to Perth and Kinross. The programme is a collaboration between criminal justice sector partners - Police Scotland, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, and the defence community supported by the Scottish Government. The programme is one of the leading collaborative technology programmes in the world. DESC stands for Digital Evidence Sharing Capability and is a significant programme designed to deliver an end to end service which will collect, manage and share digital evidence throughout the criminal justice process. DESC is funded by the Scottish Government who also provide coordination and support for the programme. DESC also supports the Scottish Government’s national strategy that describes a vision of modern, user-focused systems that use digital technology to deliver simple, fast and effective justice. The service will allow: Police to gather evidence and store it in the DESC solution (collection and ingestion) Police to digitally share evidence with COPFS (revelation) COPFS to digitally share evidence with the defence (disclosure) The prosecutor (and defence) to present evidence digitally to the court (presentation). DESC is designed to complement and integrate with COPFS case management systems SOSR and FOS. DESC helps agencies to provide a better public service and provide a platform for further modernisation.
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OFFICIAL 30 | P a g e OFFICIAL DESC is designed to complement and integrate with COPFS case management systems SOSR and FOS. DESC helps agencies to provide a better public service and provide a platform for further modernisation. DESC as a programme will allow the storage, sharing and presentation of evidence which exists in a digital format (e.g. digital CCTV, Body worn camera footage, material recorded on a DVD, digital documents, emails, or the contents of a mobile phone) as well as evidence which contains data in a non-digital format (e.g. paper records and forms, video tape, non-digital photographs). An example of the benefit that DESC will bring will be to allow CCTV footage of a crime to be quickly shared with the police, prosecutor, defence agent and court, allowing the case to be resolved quickly (for example, by a plea of guilty or by accepting that a defence is made out) at the first appearance or soon thereafter. If the case is resolved more quickly it reduces the need for members of the public to be cited and to attend court and provides a quicker outcome for the accused. It also reduces unnecessary work for the defence, Crown, Police and court staff. Digital evidence will be able to be shared between parties through DESC. This will reduce the need for such evidence to be physically transported from police to PF to defence and to court. This will allow digital evidence to be shared more quickly, efficiently and securely. SCIM – Scottish Child Interview Model The Scottish Child Interview Model is a new approach to joint investigative interviewing which is trauma informed, maintaining the focus upon the needs of the child in the interview and minimising the risk of further traumatisation, whilst seeking to achieve to best evidence through improved planning and interview techniques. SCIM was developed by a team of experienced social workers and police officers who drew upon national and international research and best practice. The National JII Project was set up in 2017 and, following this research and development stage, testing in practice began in 2019.
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OFFICIAL 31 | P a g e OFFICIAL The National JII Project forms part of the response to recommendations within the Evidence and Procedure Review (2015) which set out the aspiration to remove the need for children to give evidence in court by achieving a position in which the joint investigative interview could be led as ‘Evidence in Chief’. Bespoke interview plans are developed, informed by the needs of each individual child. Planning is focused on maximising the child’s participation. Interviewers are skilled at responding to the needs of the child. Support for the child before and after interview is considered during the planning. The key outcome is to ensure children are protected from abuse, harm and exploitation. Training has been completed during the reporting period and SCIM is to be launched across Tayside mid-May 2024.
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OFFICIAL 32 | P a g e OFFICIAL National Priority – Prioritise wellbeing and keep our people safe, well equipped and protected Wellbeing Provision During the reporting period 3 new wellbeing Champions have been identified for Perth and Kinross. These officers will provide a point of contact for anyone seeking wellbeing advice or support and can provide advice and guidance to line managers in relation to wellbeing provision. As well as the wellbeing Champions we now also have a dedicated wellbeing room within the Police Station at Barrack Street. This room is a safe place for Police officers or staff to attend if they are needing some time to themselves. The room comprises of comfortable seats, books and a wellbeing library where support and information can be found. Inclusion Calendar As part of the Policing Together framework a new Inclusion Calendar has been launched. Celebrating and understanding cultural events is key to delivering Police Scotland's commitment to becoming an inclusive and anti-discriminatory service. Our Policing Together inclusion calendar documents our celebrations of various cultural and religious events that are important to our people and the communities we serve. Marking events can help challenge unconscious bias and support continuous learning. It can also help to increase public trust and confidence in policing. Victim Support Scotland – Police Scotland remains committed to working with partners in the public, private and third sectors to ensure the approach to Public Protection is focused, meaningful and collaborative. This commitment allows the organisation to continually improve the service and support provided to victims and their families, whilst working towards protecting those at risk of harm. We are working closely with Victim Support Scotland and in collaboration with the National Team at Partnerships, Prevention and Community Wellbeing to address the needs of local communities through enhanced communication and an improved referral support service. We are partnering at local engagement events to promote the benefits of VSS, sharing social media articles and distributing literature. PPCW now have full governance of national victim support referrals and carry out a daily quality check of referral data.
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OFFICIAL 33 | P a g e OFFICIAL VSS reports a reduction in duplicate referrals from Tayside because of improved processes to IT systems which has also helped reduce their waiting times for victim/witness contact following referral. There has been an uplift in referrals both offered and accepted. Our Partnerships team were involved in promoting Victims Awareness Week in February, through face to face engagements and social media signposting. Perth had seen the use of council offices used as a temporary mosque pending the completion of a new purpose-built premises, which opened in March 2024. Partnerships and community officers have regular engagement with the Local Authority Equalities officer and Imam to engage with the congregation covering hate crime and VAW and the relevant supports and reporting mechanisms available. Third Party Reporting Third party reporting sites permit victims the opportunity to report hate crimes without direct contact with Police. There are currently 5 third party reporting sites within Perth and Kinross. Refresher training is to be implemented to the services providing the locations in due course. Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) (DBI) is an innovative way of supporting people in distress. The DBI approach emerged from the Scottish Government’s work on Suicide Prevention and Mental Health strategies. Police officers can complete referrals to the charity Penumbra (Mental Health Charity) who will provide mental health support services. Officers can refer persons presenting as being in distress. It offers another tactical option for Police and additional service options for the patient. Officers in Perth and Kinross are in the process of being trained in DBI, however there is a temporary pause due to staffing issues with the service provider Penumbra. To date Police in Perth and Kinross have submitted 4 DBI referrals.
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OFFICIAL 34 | P a g e OFFICIAL Suicide Ongoing working groups reviewing locations of concerns such as Kinnoull Hill and the Friarton Bridge to reduce the risk and safe lives. New Perth and Kinross Suicide bereavement packs have been designed to be issued to families or persons affected by suicide signposting the various services open for use. PIP have been signposting free ASIST training, an accredited two-day course covering risks around applied suicide prevention. 6 officers have signed up for the courses run in Jan and Feb 2024. There will be a further 10 courses run over the next 12 months which will help improve service access and delivery.