Agenda Document Pack - Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee - 05/02/2026
Moray Council · 5 February 2026
Back to Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee — 5 February 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee Thursday, 05 February 2026 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Meeting of the Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee is to be held at Council Chambers, Council Office, High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BX on Thursday, 05 February 2026 at 14:00. BUSINESS 1. Sederunt 2. Declaration of Group Decisions and Members Interests * 3. Minute of the meeting held 13 November 2025 5 - 8 4. Written Questions ** 5. Police Scotland Performance Report April to September 2025 Report by Chief Superintendent Kate Stephen, Divisional Police Commander, North East Division, Police Scotland 9 - 40 6. SFRS Local Fire and Rescue Plan Update Report by Area Commander Andrew Wright, Local Senior Officer, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, and Moray 41 - 64 Page 1
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Summary of Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee functions: The following functions of the Council shall stand referred or delegated to this Committee: (1) To deal with all matters relating to Police and Fire and Rescue Services in Moray. (2) To participate in consultations relative to national strategic plans and priorities for the Police and Fire and Rescue Services. (3) To work with the Local Police Commander and the Local Senior Officer for the Fire and Rescue Service to set priorities and objectives for Local Police Plans and Local Fire and Rescue Plans for Moray. (4) To monitor delivery of the Police and Fire and Rescue Services in Moray, providing feedback and making recommendations for improvements as required. (5) To call for reports from the Local Police Commander or the Local Senior Officer for the Fire and Rescue Service on issues relevant to the delivery of the Police or Fire and Rescue Service in Moray as appropriate. (6) To facilitate Community Planning relative to the Police and Fire and Rescue Services in accordance with statutory guidance. Watching the Meeting You can watch the webcast live by going to: http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_43661.html Webcasts are available to view for 1 year following the meeting. You can also attend the meeting in person. If you wish to attend in person, please come to the High Street entrance door and a member of staff will let you into the Chamber. Page 2
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GUIDANCE NOTES * Declaration of Group Decisions and Members Interests - The Chair of the meeting shall seek declarations from any individual or political group at the beginning of a meeting whether any prior decision has been reached on how the individual or members of the group will vote on any item(s) of business on the Agenda, and if so on which item(s). A prior decision shall be one that the individual or the group deems to be mandatory on the individual or the group members such that the individual or the group members will be subject to sanctions should they not vote in accordance with the prior decision. Any such prior decisions will be recorded in the Minute of the meeting. ** Written Questions - Any Member can put one written question about any relevant and competent business within the specified remits not already on the agenda, to the Chair provided it is received by the Proper Officer or Committee Services by 5pm three working days prior to the day of the meeting, please see Standing Order 36 for deadlines. A copy of any written answer provided by the Chair will be published on the Council’s committee management system by 12pm the day before the meeting. The Member who has put the question may, after the answer has been published, may ask one supplementary question directly related to the subject matter at the meeting, but no discussion will be allowed. No supplementary question can be put or answered more than 10 minutes after the Council has started on the relevant item of business, except with the consent of the Chair. If a Member does not have the opportunity to put a supplementary question because no time remains, then he or she can submit it in writing to the Proper Officer who will arrange for a written answer to be provided within 7 working days. Page 3
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MORAY COUNCIL Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee SEDERUNT Councillor Peter Bloomfield (Chair) Councillor Paul McBain (Depute Chair) Councillor James Allan (Member) Councillor Theresa Coull (Member) Councillor John Divers (Member) Councillor Donald Gatt (Member) Councillor Neil McLennan (Member) Councillor Shona Morrison (Member) Councillor Ben Williams (Member) Clerk Name: Lindsey Robinson Clerk Telephone: 07966 120593 Clerk Email: committee.services@moray.gov.uk Page 4
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MORAY COUNCIL Minute of Meeting of the Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee Thursday, 13 November 2025 Council Chambers, Council Office, High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BX PRESENT Councillor James Allan, Councillor Peter Bloomfield, Councillor John Divers, Councillor Donald Gatt, Councillor Paul McBain, Councillor Neil McLennan, Councillor Ben Williams APOLOGIES Councillor Theresa Coull, Councillor Shona Morrison IN ATTENDANCE Superintendent Jason Carrigan; Chief Inspector Mike McKenzie; Chief Inspector George Nixon, all Police Scotland; area Commander Andrew Wright; Group Commander David Hendry, both Scottish Fire and Rescue Services; Head of Growth, Planning and Climate (Chief Planning Officer), and Lindsey Robinson, Committee Services Officer, both Moray Council. 1. Chair Councillor Peter Bloomfield chaired the meeting. 2. Declaration of Group Decisions and Members Interests * In terms of Standing Orders 21 and 23 and the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, there were no declarations from Group Leaders or Spokespersons in regard to any prior decisions taken on how Members will vote on any item on the agenda or any declarations of Member’s interests in respect of any item on the agenda. 3. Minute of the meeting held 14 August 2025 The minute of the meeting held 14 August 2025 was submitted and approved. Councillor Bloomfield provided an update to item 6 "SFRS Police and Fire Scrutiny Thematic report August 2025". He advised that although it had been agreed that he would write a letter to the Scottish Government, after taking advice from the Chief Governance Officer (Monitoring Officer) it was decided that this would not happen as it was outside of the remit of this committee. 4. Written Questions The meeting noted that no written questions had been submitted. Item 3. Page 5
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5. Police Scotland - Thematic Report – Cybercrime The meeting had before it a report by the Divisional Police Commander, North East Division, Police Scotland providing the Committee with an overview of Cybercrime and Police Scotland’s response to it. Councillor McLennan joined the meeting at this juncture. During consideration Councillor Gatt sought clarification on the volume of cybercrimes being dealt with locally and nationally. In response, Chief Inspector McKenzie advised that it would be difficult to provide a figure but that he would pull together the local information on cyber related frauds and fraudulent schemes dealt with in the last 6 months and report back to the Committee. Councillor Gatt further sought clarification on the co-operation between partners and the National Crime Agency at a national level and what overseas partnerships were in place to try and stop cybercrime. Chief Inspector McKenzie advised that he would take this away and come back to the Committee with a response. Councillor Williams sought clarification on whether the fraud highlighted in the case study was a local data breach or if it was something happening nationally. Chief Inspector McKenzie advised that it had not been linked to a particular breach. He added that it could come from data sharing on legitimate websites. Councillor McLennan left the meeting at this juncture. Following consideration, the Committee unanimously agreed to: i. note the information contained in the report; and ii. request that the Divisional Commander continues to report to the Committee against the priorities set out in the Local Police Plan 2023-26. 6. Police Scotland - Thematic Report - Mental Health in the Community - Impact on Policing The meeting had before it a report by the Divisional Police Commander, North East Division, Police Scotland providing the Committee with an overview of mental health challenges in the community and the impact on policing. Councillor McLennan rejoined the meeting at this juncture. Following consideration, the Committee unanimously agreed to: i. note the information contained within the report: and Page 6
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ii. request that the Divisional Commander continues to report to the Committee against the priorities set out in the Local Police Plan 2023-26 7. Scottish Fire and Rescue Services Performance Report 1 April 2025 – 1 October 2025 The meeting had before it a report by the Local Senior Commander, Area Commander Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, and Moray informing the Committee of the performance undertaken by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) locally and in respect of the Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan 2021-24. Before consideration of the report, Area Commander Wright updated the Committee on the SFRS activity on bonfire night and expressed his thanks to the community groups and the wider public for making the night a success. The Committee joined the Chair in thanking all of the blue light services for their hard work during the wildfires over the summer months. During consideration, Councillor Gatt sought clarification on why the number of home fire safety visits had dropped. In response, Area Commander Wright advised that there was strict criteria which had changed over the years, with the focus now on the most vulnerable households. Councillor McLennan sought clarification on what was being done to improve safety on the A98. In response, Chief Inspector McKenzie advised that there was an action plan that includes the A98 which involves all partners. Area Commander Wright advised that the Scottish Government had just released their new road safety campaign, and from this the SFRS are actively targeting the over 60’s, new drivers and commuters within the area. Group Commander Hendry confirmed that SFRS work in partnership with Police Scotland to deliver road safety within schools. Councillor Gatt sought clarification on what influence could be brought on to road improvements and driver standards. Area Commander Wright confirmed that all of the SFRS statistics were reported to the Scottish Government and added that they have no further influence. Chief Inspector McKenzie advised that there is a working group specifically looking at the A98 issues including engineering and serious collisions. Following further consideration, the Committee unanimously agreed to note the information contained within the report. Page 7
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Report to: POLICE AND FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES COMMITTEE Meeting Date: 5 FEBRUARY 2026 Report by: CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT KATE STEPHEN, DIVISIONAL COMMANDER, NORTH EAST DIVISION POLICE SCOTLAND Report No: Author: CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT KATE STEPHEN, DIVISIONAL COMMANDER, NORTH EAST DIVISION POLICE SCOTLAND Contact Email: LOCAL POLICE COMMANDER INBOX, FOR MEMBERS ONLY Subject: PERFORMANCE REPORT – APRIL TO SEPTEMBER 2025 1. PURPOSE ☒ For Decision ☐ For Information 1.1 To inform the Committee of the performance of Police in respect of the Local Policing Plan 2023-26. 1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (J) (4) of the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to the monitoring of delivery of the Police and Fire & Rescue Services in Moray. 2. SUMMARY 2.1 The Moray Local Policing Plan 2023-26 was submitted to this Committee for consultation in November 2022. The consultation ended in early February 2023 and the Plan has been in operation since 1 April 2023. Following discussion with the Chair the Plan was retrospectively approved at Committee on 4 May 2023. Item 5. Page 9
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL 2.2 Section 47(2) of the Police and Fire Reform Act 2012 states "a local police plan is a plan which:- a. sets out the main priorities and objectives for the policing of the local authority's area. b. where reasonably practicable, identifies outcomes by reference to which the achievement of those priorities and objectives may be measured." 2.3 The performance update (Appendix 1) provides those outcomes, as per Section 47(2)(d) of the Act, for the Moray Council Area. In addition, it is supported with further key indicators to assist context of the outcomes of the Local Policing Plan. 3. RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 It is recommended that the Committee: i) scrutinise and note the information contained within this report; and ii) request that the Divisional Commander continues to report to the Committee against the priorities set out in the Local Police Plan 2023-26. Chief Superintendent Kate Stephen Divisional Commander North East Division Police Scotland 4. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 4.1 The table below shows whether risks and implications apply if the recommendations are agreed: SUBJECT YES NO Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcome Improvement Plan) x Policy and Legal x Financial x Risk x Staffing x Best Value and Transformation x Property x Information Communications Technology/Digital x Equalities. Social Inclusion and Economic Impact x Climate Change and Biodiversity Impact x 4.2 Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP)) Page 10
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Improved Collaborative Leadership, as part of continuous improvement through Best Value, will better enable the Council to fulfil the ambitions set out in its strategic plans. a) Links to Council Corporate Plan – The proposals in this report support and contribute to improved outcomes for communities as outlined in the following Council Plan strategic priorities: ☐ Tackle Poverty and Inequality. ☒ Build Stronger Greener Vibrant Economy. ☒ Build Thriving, resilient, empowered Communities. b) Links to Local Outcomes Improvement Plan – The proposals in this report support and contribute to improved outcomes for communities as outlined in the following Local Outcomes Improvement Plan priorities: ☐ Developing a diverse, inclusive, and sustainable economy ☒ Building a better future for our children and young people in Moray. ☒ Empowering and connecting communities. ☒ Improving wellbeing of our population 4.3 Policy and Legal This report is presented to the Committee with respect to its legislative role in the scrutiny of policing in Moray, in terms of the Police & Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012. 4.4 Financial There are no identified financial implications. One off Costs: Service Area Budget Budget Years Proposed Spend this Year Virement From Other Comments Annually Recurring Costs: Service Area Budget With Effect From Annual Net Impact Virement From (if applicable) Other Comments 4.5 Risk There are no identified risks to the Council. Page 11
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL 4.6 Staffing There are no identified staffing implications for the Council. 4.7 Best Value and Transformation N/A 4.8 Property N/A 4.9 Information Communications/Technology/Digital N/A 4.10 Equalities, Social Inclusion and Economic Impact Police Scotland is subject to relevant legislation and its own policies covering these areas. 4.11 Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts As above. 5. CONSULTATION 5.1 The Local Policing Plan, upon which the performance is reporting, was subject to consultation with elected representatives, and was heavily influenced by ongoing feedback from local communities within the Moray Council area. 6. BACKGROUND PAPERS 6.1 N/A Page 12
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Performance against Local Policing Plan 2023-26 North East Division Moray April - September 2025 Item 5. Page 13
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Introduction by the Divisional Commander I am pleased to present the latest Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee report on behalf of North East Division. This report details performance in Moray aligned to the agreed priorities at local and national level for the period 1 April to 30 September 2025. This report provides an overview of our continued efforts to address key challenges impacting community safety across Moray, reflecting the ongoing commitment of our Officers, Staff and partners to deliver a proactive, accountable and responsive policing service that protects the public and builds confidence in local policing. Policing is demanding and throughout the reporting period our Officers have responded to new emerging demand upon resources such as national protest activity and the visit of the President of the United States of America. Despite increased demand our communities can be assured they are served by dedicated Officers who work relentlessly every day to keep people safe. Our commitment to protecting vulnerable people from risk of harm, remains resolute, and I am pleased to report that our performance in relation to the detection of crime perpetrated against women and girls remains strong. Whilst it is clearly the role of the police to detect crime, there is no doubt that the most effective tool is prevention, and we will continue to work with partners to reduce the fear of crime and improve quality of life. As we move through winter, Officers are involved in the ‘After Dark’ campaign which sees a mixture of social media posts, leaflet drops and increased patrols, encouraging the public to take steps to secure their property from intrusion/theft, as the nights darken and provide more opportunities for criminals to act. Illegal drugs continue to be a blight on our communities across Moray. However, we remain committed to tackling it, evidenced through the significant increase in drug supply offences detected during the reporting period. Importantly, we continue to work hard alongside partners to strengthen our communities using our award-winning Operation Protector model, supporting those with addiction to repel exploitation by Organised Crime Groups. Continued strong detection rates are a key indicator of our proactive approach and demonstrates the work of Officers in developing and acting on the intelligence they build, whilst also carrying out pro-active patrols and searches. Page 14
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Finally, I wish to reiterate my thanks to all our partners and elected members for the support we receive. Collaborative working within Moray is nothing short of astounding and contributes significantly to our ability to Keep People Safe. Kate Stephen Divisional Commander North East Division Page 15
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Executive Summary Protecting Vulnerable People Police Scotland are a key partner within the Moray Violence Against Woman and Girls (VAWG) Partnership. Our Strategy and Action Plan provides that Violence Against Women and Girls is recognised as both a cause and a consequence of gender inequality by the United Nations, World Health Organisation and Scottish Government. Moray VAWG Partnership supports this definition and adopts the Scottish Government vision of a: “Strong and flourishing Scotland where all individuals are equally safe and respected, and where women and girls live free from all forms of violence and abuse, as well as the attitudes that perpetuate it”. We use VAWG to refer to a range of actions that harm, or cause suffering and indignity to women and children. These include but are not limited to rape, attempted rape, domestic abuse, stalking, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, ‘honour’ killings and physical, sexual and psychological violence including coercive control and financial abuse. By adopting a gendered definition, the Partnership does not deny or minimise the use of violence against men or within same sex relationships. The gendered analysis is a reflection that women and girls are disproportionately affected by particular forms of violence that they experience because they are women and girls which has its roots in gender inequality. Whilst particular forms of violence, including domestic abuse, are disproportionately experienced by women, men also experience domestic abuse and are entitled to support in the same way women are. Police Scotland and the Moray VAWG Partnership condemns all forms of violence and abuse and also recognises the critical role men play in challenging violence and inequality. Tackling Domestic Abuse continues to be a key focus for Police Scotland, having embarked upon our 16 days of Activism against Gender Based Violence in November and December 2025. This included both enforcement activity dealing robustly with those who perpetrate Domestic Abuse with awareness raising and encouraging those who have been impacted by such abuse to have confidence in reporting matters to the Police. Our work in the prevention space continues through the Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland (DSDAS); Multi-Agency Tasking & Coordinating (MATAC) and Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) forums; all of which are areas of growth. These forums facilitate multi-agency discussion through which we target the behaviour of perpetrators and support/safeguard victims and their families. In relation to Child Protection, Bairns Hoose is a model designed to provide holistic and child centred support to those who have been victims of or witness to abuse, and to children under the age of criminal responsibility whose behaviour has caused harm. In April 2025, upon successful application, Moray were awarded funds from the Scottish Government Bairn Hoose Development Fund. This fund, which differs from Pathfinder funding, focuses on Development of the Bairns Hoose and tests of change. In addition, funds have been allocated to upgrade the Joint Interview equipment currently in place at Chesworth Gardens, Elgin which will further enhance the quality of recording of Joint Investigative Interviews. Our commitment to the wider Child Protection remit remains steadfast and our high standards in partnership working and service delivery continue to be seen through our teams who deliver on the Page 17
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM) and Inter Agency Referral Discussions (IRD), both of which have been recognised in previous inspections as areas of high performance. Tackling hate crime remains a priority and we understand the profound impact which it can have on both victims and the wider community. This is demonstrated through our robust approach to investigating and detecting reported crime and the collaborative approach taken with partners to educate, prevent and reassure communities. We recognise the community harms caused by those with mental health or substance misuse issues. The prevalence of these harms in society inevitably results in vulnerable individuals coming into contact with the Police. We maintain strong partnerships across Moray, taking a person-centred and trauma informed approach, aiming to create a pathway where individuals can receive appropriate and timely care by the most relevant professional. Serious Organised Crime North East Division continues to produce high levels of performance across the 4D strategy (Disrupt, Detect, Deter, Divert) to tackle Serious Organised Crime during this reporting period. Utilising the ‘4D’ method, we continue to ensure those vulnerable to becoming susceptible to drugs and the associated harm are provided with support, engagement and directed to the relevant partners under our Deter and Divert strands. Under the Disrupt and Detect strands we aim to ensure, via disruptive tactics, and all investigative capabilities that those within our area and those travelling to this area for the purpose of dealing controlled drugs are met with as hostile an environment as possible. Drug supply detections continue to increase on the previous year and the 5-Year Average displaying our focused effort to disrupt the facilitators and heads of Organised Crime Groups and County Lines who profit most from the supply of controlled drugs. Drug Supply investigations have increased by over 300% comparative to the previous year and over 150% compared to the 5-Year Average. In this reporting period, controlled drugs with a value of over £400,000 have been recovered. Antisocial Behaviour, Violence and Disorder Antisocial behaviour (ASB) has a wide-ranging negative impact on our communities reducing a sense of safety, undermining community cohesion and quality of life. Our approach involving high visibility policing in communities alongside our preventative initiatives aim to target locations and those vulnerable to becoming victims of ASB and violent crime. We have worked closely with our Community Safety partners to deliver a range of innovative projects and initiatives aimed at reducing ASB. Projects such as the Active Youth Engagement bus has seen a range of partners from across the public and private sector coming together to deliver a mobile youth engagement bus. The project aims to connect with young people in a safe, welcoming space. Youth Workers from Action for Children operate the bus on behalf of the partnership providing advice, early intervention, signposting to services and safeguarding support. The broader goal is to build positive relationships, reducing ASB and contributing to safer and inclusive community spaces. We are delighted to report that Moray is leading the way in the North East with the establishment of a Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP). A CAP will bring together key partners, retailers, alcohol producers and our communities to reduce alcohol-related harm among young people. It will focus on preventing underage drinking and proxy sales through education, responsible retailing, Page 18
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL awareness campaigns and positive activities for young people. Our CAP will be tailored to our local communities to improve community safety, wellbeing and relationships by encouraging shared responsibility and early intervention. As reported upon previously the Moray area experienced a notable increase in reported crimes of Robbery during 2024/25 and in our response to this, we introduced both preventative strategies supported by enforcement led by our CID. I am delighted to report that the work of our Officers has resulted in a significant reduction in Robberies during the reporting period as we have recorded just 4 offences compared to 16 in the same period the previous year. Our focus on protecting those vulnerable in our communities, targeting Serious and Organised crime and County Lines groups in Moray has contributed to a reduction in incidents of serious violence such as Attempted Murder and Serious Assaults during the reporting period across Moray. We are committed to continuing to pursue those intent on causing harm within our communities. We must however not lose focus on Assaults occurring in our communities and acknowledge the increase in reported offences of Common Assaults during the reporting period. We have worked to understand the reason for this finding that we have seen a larger increase in Assaults occurring with private dwellings in Moray and in the context of a domestic setting. The increase in reported offences has resulted in demand on our resources but the dedication of our Officers to bring offenders to justice is evident in strong detections with over 75% of Assaults reported in Moray resulting in offenders been charged. Road Safety and Road Crime We continue to collaborate with our partners across Moray and North East Division, dedicated to road safety and reducing road casualties. With our focus throughout the year aligned with the ‘Fatal Five’ Campaign, we continue to target key offences identified as contributory factors associated with fatal and serious injury collisions. Our Community Policing Teams and colleagues from Roads Policing and the Camera Safety unit have maintained a visible presence on the road network across Moray supported by delivery of targeted campaigns and initiatives throughout the year. Acquisitive Crime Overall Crimes of Dishonesty have shown an increase on the previous year with increases observed in Motor vehicle offences of Opening Lockfast Place and Theft from a Motor vehicle. Opening from a Lockfast Place has seen a significant increase, this is primarily as a result of a crime spree perpetrated by two individuals over the course of one evening where they broke into and damaged over 30 motor vehicles. Theft of a Motor vehicle has seen a reduction of over 50% comparative to the same period last year. Theft by shoplifting and Fraud have also seen increases with Theft by Shoplifting increasing by over 29%. The formation and implementation of the Retail Crime Task force within Police Scotland is a dedicated response to the rising threat of theft, abuse, and violence faced by retailers. Officially launched in April 2025, the taskforce is backed by a three million pounds commitment from the Scottish Government to support local policing division’s and protect retailers and their employees across the country. The 4Ps approach - Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare - will be the strategy implemented. Page 19
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL We continue to work with partners across a broad spectrum of initiatives, programmes, engagements and strategies to protect the residents of Moray from becoming victim to acquisitive crime. From Agricultural shows and Rural crime days to inputs, education and enhancing awareness of Cybercrime and new and emerging fraudulent trends, we continue to support our communities to prevent them becoming victim of such criminality. Counter Terrorism & Domestic Extremism We aim to reduce the risk of terrorism so people can go about their lives freely and with confidence by focusing on the local delivery of the CONTEST strategy using four key objectives: PROTECT, PREPARE, PURSUE and PREVENT. Partners in Moray continue to contribute to the local CONTEST delivery plan and significant work continues to take place to ensure the area is protected against the threat of terrorism. Following the recent terrorist attack at a Synagogue in Manchester, we continue to work with and provide reassurance patrols to religious communities from all denominations, to ensure they are safe. Page 20
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Protecting Vulnerable People Objective: Work with statutory and third sector partners to reduce violence against women and girls North East Division continues to support the Moray Violence Against Women Partnership, delivering and supporting key activities in furtherance of the Partnership’s delivery plan. Police Scotland continue to lead on the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) process on behalf of all partners, ensuring those victims deemed High Risk and any children involved are subject of robust safety planning along with professional and specialist support. Work is ongoing to ensure that the membership we have at both the steering groups and MARAC meetings themselves have agency representation which ensures victims are fully represented and their voice is heard and understood within that forum. We keep the needs of the victim at the heart of everything we do. Supported by multi-agency partners, we also continue to proactively target domestic abuse perpetrators through our Multi-Agency Tasking & Coordinating (MATAC) process. The key aims of MATAC include the identification of individuals who present the greatest risk, proactive enforcement/active targeting of offenders, and the sharing of information for intelligence development, prevention, or enforcement as appropriate. The demand in relation to the Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland (DSDAS) continues to rise and awareness raising efforts by Police and partners continues. This scheme offers anyone with concerns; whether for their own safety or the safety of another; regarding an individual’s history of Domestic Abuse to make an application for relevant information to be disclosed. Each case is assessed individually and where appropriate disclosures are made to pro-actively mitigate the risk an individual poses. This allows people to make their own informed decisions around whether to remain in a relationship. Enforcement activity against perpetrators of Domestic Abuse is a priority for Police Scotland. Governance of such enquiries is key, and we set high standards around the case management of these investigations and ensuring scrutiny at all levels, including the Senior Leadership Team on a daily basis. These efforts intensify across the 16 days of activism. We also engage in media campaigns reinforcing our zero-tolerance stance on this issue and offering support to victims. We routinely implement Perpetrator Management Plans to ensure that each and every opportunity is taken to disrupt Domestic Abuse perpetrators who pose a high risk of harm. Police Scotland continue to be part of the Moray Interagency Vulnerable Adults meeting (MIVA), which is a process allowing partnership representatives to explore interventions in place for individuals who are repeatedly referred to Social Work through police reporting. Individuals who meet the criteria are presented for multi-agency discussion around the supports in place for an individual and exploration of additional support which could be provided. The Joint Inspection review of progress completed in 2024 showed that individuals discussed at MIVA featured in fewer Police referrals following that intervention. Page 21
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Objective: Drive the development of multi-agency agendas to minimise harm and support / signpost those we identify as vulnerable towards partners A key priority of Police Scotland is in ensuring that we help victims access the support they need from the agency best equipped to do so. Where there is the potential, an adult is deemed to be at risk of harm, the Adult Inter Agency Referral process will ensure that an assessment of risk is undertaken on a Multi-Agency basis to ensure the correct support can then be provided based on individual need. Working in collaboration with partners, our knowledge and response to Adult Support & Protection matters continues to develop and improve. We continue to support the Moray Adult Protection Committee (APC) and it’s varying sub-groups, effectively delivering positive outcomes through multi- agency improvement activity. Our commitment to our work in relation to Learning Reviews remains a key focus of Police Scotland in the North East with a Detective Chief Inspector from Police Scotland leading on this workstream, supported by Detective Inspectors from within the Public Protection department. This crucial work ensures that learning from cases is extracted on a multi-agency basis and helps to inform our improvement plans for the future. We continue to drive and support positive change through our chairing and representation at the Grampian wide Adult Protection Group with specialist Officers, through effective collaboration, devising multi-agency information sharing guidance and a financial harm strategy. We utilise our data to help us to identify those at risk of harm through monitoring repeat calls; intelligence and VPD submissions. Our Concern Hub staff carry out escalation reviews for such individuals ensuring their needs are highlighted appropriately to partners. Our staff are ever vigilant for signs of persons being coercively controlled; financially exploited or exploited in the digital world, even if a call does not initially relate to that. Our strong relationships with partners and excellent information sharing processes ensure that emerging concerns are recognised and disseminated appropriately. Frontline Officers are trained to provide immediate safeguarding advice tailored to the individual’s needs. Case Study Police Scotland are committed to supporting the survivors of Domestic Abuse and bringing perpetrators to justice. We have recently secured convictions against a perpetrator of Rape; Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offences against children. He was sentenced to 10 years and 9 months imprisonment. Specialist Officers within Moray have consistently secured significant sentences against perpetrators of serious sexual and domestic offences, while supporting the victims of such crimes. Police Scotland continue to collaborate positively with Moray Rape Crisis supporting training and developing a sound understanding of respective roles to maximise the level of service provided to survivors. Page 22
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL We know that Hate Crime continues to impact individuals and communities, particularly those most vulnerable in society. We work with a range of partners to ensure that Hate Crime is well understood and that victims feel empowered to report it, either directly or via third-party reporting centres, with the confidence that perpetrators will be robustly dealt with. Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officers regularly attend community groups and events to engage with and listen to individuals from minority communities. Across the reporting period, we have seen a rise nationally in anti-immigration protests. Although this has not impacted Moray in the same vein as it has in other areas, we continue to consider local circumstances. We understand and promote the fundamental right to peaceful protest; however, Hate Crime is not legitimate protest, and we will swiftly and robustly deal with those committing these offences. Specially trained Hate Crime Advisors are deployed to such protests to provide commanders with guidance around potential criminality. Reducing the harms associated with substance misuse remains a key priority across the Moray area and this has been of increasing relevance with a nationwide drug alert being in place since the start of 2025. We remain part of a strong local partnership, allowing information to be shared between professionals in an effort to identify harms at an early stage. We are also active in forums across the North-East area and on a national basis, enabling wider trends to be considered and best practice to be shared. Mental health calls continue to create demand on policing resources, and we aim to respond in a manner where those in crisis get the correct response from those best able to provide the required help and assistance, enabling a trauma informed approach and improved outcomes for vulnerable individuals. National work is driven by Police Scotland’s Mental Health Taskforce and, where there is no immediate risk, mechanisms are in place to refer individuals to the NHS Mental Health Hub at the point of first contact. Where risk is identified and a Police response is required, our aim is to provide Officers with a number of options to ensure that individuals in crisis are referred to the most appropriate agency as soon as possible. Direct Police access to the NHS Flow Navigation Centre was given a ‘soft launch’ in Moray on 1 September 2025 and allows Officers to have an early discussion with a clinician whilst at the scene of a mental health related call where an individual is in significant crisis. This facilitates early and informed decision making, accelerating access to care settings where required and preventing unnecessary travel to hospital where that is not an appropriate resolution. Officers used this on 11 occasions during the reporting period, with streamlined decision-making leading to a significant reduction in Officer hours spent dealing with such incidents. Full roll out commenced at the start of October 2025 and will be reported on in due course. Objective: Raise awareness of and prevent abuse of children and other vulnerable persons, ensuring a victim centred approach. Police in Moray remain committed to preventing the abuse and exploitation of children through the early identification of risk; robust safeguarding measures and strong partnership working. Officers are trained to recognise indicators of harm such as neglect; online exploitation or physical harm and act swiftly alongside partners to protect the child. A victim centred approach underpins all our contact with Page 23
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL children and young people ensuring their voice; wellbeing and safety are central to decisions made at every stage. The work of our child interview teams (SCIM) and our IRD process continues to deliver a high standard of service to children in Moray ensuring they receive a trauma informed service aligned to their individual needs. Officers have an opportunity to build trust with children and their families and to make the process as comfortable as possible for them. In April 2025, upon successful application, Moray were awarded funds from the Scottish Government Bairns Hoose Development Fund. This fund, which differs from Pathfinder funding, focuses on Development of the Bairns Hoose and tests of change. In addition, funds have been allocated to upgrade the Joint Interview equipment currently in place at Chesworth Gardens in Elgin which will further enhance the quality of recording of Joint Investigative Interviews. Since being awarded the funds a Bairns Hoose Co-ordinator has been appointed (held by Moray Social Work) in addition to a Children’s Right and Participation Worker (held by Quarriers). Feedback provided by Quarriers provided the following in terms of experiences of children within Child Protection processes: “I feel like I have a voice and I do have a say in my own life thanks to you helping me.” “I would have been too scared to go to my meetings, but you explained it all, ensured the meeting was held around what I needed emotionally and attended with me. I feel more in control of my future.” Test of change funds were allocated to a Health Co-ordinator, Speech and Language Therapy and a Health Care Support Worker (all held by NHS Grampian). These posts will further enhance the quality of service provided to children and their families throughout the already well-established child protection processes in Moray. Moray CPC have since hosted a practitioner event to launch the Bairns Hoose journey in Moray, attended by over 50 practitioners across the multi-agency partnership. We remain committed to the Learning Review work in respect of children too, and in line with the service for adult cases; a Detective Chief Inspector leads on this work from a Police perspective, alongside partner agencies. This ensures we can continue to identify areas for development and areas of good practice and take this forward into our strategies and delivery plans. We continue to be supported by colleagues in the National Child Abuse Investigation Unit who hold responsibility for much of the work connected to child abuse and exploitation online. They carry out enforcement in relation to those who have committed offences such as downloading of indecent images of children; ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice and appropriate safeguarding measures implemented. Page 24
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Serious Organised Crime Objective: DETECT - Work collaboratively with others to provide a coordinated response to identify, detect and prosecute those involved in serious organised crime Objective: DIVERT - Build an effective pan-Grampian partnership, with a view to diverting people away from involvement in Serious Organised Crime, making Moray a hostile environment for those who seek to exploit our communities Operation Protector ‘Days of Action’ were undertaken in Moray variously across the reporting period with significant resources deployed in May, August and September. Officers from Police Scotland, along with staff from Arrows, undertook assertive outreach visits to those at risk of SOC and County Lines related risk, including exploitation and cuckooing. During the various deployments, over 100 visits were conducted with several individuals referred into service and provided with immediate support. Leaflet drops were also carried out at various Pharmacies throughout Moray which contained information about cuckooing and exploitation. Health care, housing support and food parcels were also provided to several individuals across the various deployments. With the continued cost of living crisis affecting a number of people across the country this is an ideal breeding ground for drug dealers and facilitators of drug dealing activity to prey on the most vulnerable and attempt to entice them into further drug use, drug dealing on their behalf and cuckooing activities. The Divert and Deter strands of the 4D’s aims to support and divert those vulnerable individuals ensuring they have the relevant skills and support networks in place to alleviate their difficulties and protect against becoming further victims of SOC. Objective: DETECT - Work collaboratively with others to provide a coordinated response to identify, detect and prosecute those involved in serious organised crime Objective: DISRUPT - Deliver a collaborative multi-agency response to disrupt Organised Crime Groups by sharing intelligence, ideas and resources Pro-active Policing, enforcement and disruption to OCG’s took place across Moray during the reporting period, undertaken by our local Policing teams, Pro-active and OCG teams and national resources. June saw the implementation of the Moray Proactive team based in Elgin. The small team of Officer’s focus being on Acquisitive crime, Drugs investigations and SOC. As indicated in the executive summary Drug supply charges have increased by over 300% comparative to the previous year and over 180% compared to the 5-Year Average. During the reporting period drug search warrants were executed across Moray inclusive of Elgin, Buckie, Dufftown and Forres, with a significant volume of controlled drugs located and seized. Page 25
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Cocaine with a value of over £200,000 was seized and over £150,000 of Cannabis. These are only a select few of several such seizures during the reporting period. As is evident in the increase in drug supply investigations and the continued enforcement we remain committed to tackling those creating the greatest harm, whilst supporting our communities to be resilient in the fight against SOC. The case studies below are examples of our numerous and varied enforcement successes, and the approaches utilised to dismantle SOC. Case Study As a result of intelligence received regarding possible drugs couriering, a female resident from Forres was stopped in Forres and found in possession of a personal quantity of Cocaine. A drugs search warrant was then craved and executed at her home address during which dealer quantities of Cocaine and Cannabis were recovered along with several hundred pounds in cash. The individual was charged and remains subject to ongoing court proceedings. Case Study In August, as a result of intelligence relating to the supply of drugs from an address in Elgin, a drug search warrant was craved and subsequently executed at the address by a national Police Scotland unit supported by local CID and uniformed Officers. A male was found within along with significant quantities of Cocaine and Cannabis. He was subsequently arrested, charged and held to appear at court the next day. Page 26
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Antisocial Behaviour, Violence and Disorder Objective: Reduce antisocial behaviour, violence and disorder by working with partners to facilitate early interventions for those involved in, or those vulnerable to becoming involved in, such behaviours A partnership based, holistic approach remains fundamental to addressing Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) and violence within our communities. Police Scotland play a central role in Community Safety and broader partnership strategies and initiatives, focusing on effective early intervention and prevention. Our work as a partnership to deliver the innovative Active Youth Engagement bus is a demonstration of how our partnerships in Moray work collaboratively to tackle ASB and violence impacting our communities. We continue to work with partners to deliver preventative measures and intervention to young people in relation to the carrying of and use of weapons and knives. An increase, albeit small, in the carriage of weapons in our schools remains a concern and we recognise the importance of education as pivotal in changing behaviours and futures. To support a collaborative response, across North East Division, Police Scotland and partners have agreed protocols which are followed in the event of a person under 18 years of age being in possession of a knife or offensive weapon. This protocol sees partner agencies engaging in multi-agency meetings to consider and implement targeted supports and intervention. Our Youth Engagement Officer is now well established and works closely with colleagues in Education and Social Work, as well as within the third sector, to recognise, understand and intervene at an early stage in those issues which cause harm to both our young people and those in the community. Focused work has been carried out across Moray with those recognised as disengaging with education to reintegrate them back into school and divert them away from engaging in ASB. Objective: With partners, identify locations where antisocial behaviour and violence is most likely to occur and work with communities and other agencies to find lasting solutions and enhance community safety We continue to strengthen our existing Community Safety partnerships, sharing information to inform the activities of the partnership in areas experiencing ASB and violence. This has led to initiatives such at the ‘Buckie Project’ which has adopted a holistic approach by partners to engagement with communities in Buckie to understand their concerns and challenges and respond collaboratively to those underlying causes and issues to achieve lasting solutions. Page 27
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Objective: Working with partners, we will enhance our understanding of the underlying causes of antisocial behaviour and violence and develop public health approaches to prevent these harms Much of our work in relation to prevention of ASB is undertaken in collaboration with partners via the Community Safety Partnership. Reports of ASB are discussed daily at the Community Safety Hub meetings, with the data being used to identify longer term trends, allowing us to undertake collaborative problem solving with partners and communities. As we embark on the Community Alcohol Partnership we will engage with our communities, retailers and importantly our young people to better understand alcohol use in our communities. Recognising that alcohol is often a contributor to ASB and violence this enhanced understanding will support the collaborative work of the CAP and wider partnership initiatives to focus resource and activity to achieve the greatest impacts. Our nighttime economy sees thousands of people enjoy our towns and villages every week. Long established links with Moray Council Licensing Team, and strong engagement with licensed premises helps drive standards, maximising safety and minimising risk to the public. We have worked closely with partner including Street Pastors who continue to play an integral part in supporting those who are or may become vulnerable as a result of alcohol use. By working with premises, organisers and organisations such as the Street Pastors, measures are put in place to ensure that vulnerability is recognised and addressed, and that attendees and the wider community feel safe. Page 28
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Road Safety and Road Crime Objective: With partners in Road Safety North East Scotland (RSNES) increase safety and reduce casualties on our roads Objective: Prevent instances of crime occurring on our road network Objective: Improve road safety by proactively targeting drink and drug drivers Motorcycle Safety Campaign - 21 March to 26 September This campaign, running throughout the peak spring/summer riding period, promoted safe and responsible riding and driving across Scotland’s roads. Road Policing and National Motorcycle Unit Officers carried out dedicated patrol activity on popular biker routes, and routes with a history of serious injury and fatal collisions involving riders. The campaign saw a strong focus on the contribution all road users can make to reducing rider casualties. Several Weekends of Action, targeting popular bank holiday riding dates, were included, plus a Fortnight of Action that ran from the 2nd to 15th of June to coincide with the UK-wide 2Wheels initiative co-ordinated by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). NPCC Operation Spotlight - 1 to 31 July, incorporating the Summer Drink Drug Drive Campaign This campaign aligned with an NPCC UK-wide initiative running throughout July, intended to educate and protect drivers against the Fatal 5 risk taking driving behaviours of drink & drug driving, speeding, using a handheld mobile phone, careless driving and not wearing a seatbelt. Each of these behaviours increase the likelihood of a collision and often its severity / survivability. This was the first occasion Police Scotland has participated throughout the entire duration of this NPCC initiative. Operation Spotlight led off with the Summer Drink & Drug Drive Campaign. Running over the first fortnight, it provided a strong focus on drink/drug driving which represents a significant challenge to safety on Scotland’s roads as illustrated in the increase in offences against the 1- and 5-year comparisons. The campaign highlighted the growing road safety threat from drug drivers. Social media was utilised to improve road user engagement, drawing on public-facing campaign material from key partner Road Safety Scotland. To further enhance our capability around the detection of impairment through drug driving, a pilot scheme has commenced, initially in other areas, that involves the use of roadside drug wipes to analyse samples which detect the presence of controlled drugs in the system. Page 29
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Young Drivers Fatal 5 Campaign - 22 September to 5 October This campaign aligned with an NPCC UK-wide campaign over these dates, intended to educate and protect young drivers (defined as the under 25s) against the Fatal 5 adverse driving behaviours. During the course of the campaign, Officers detected a number of offences among young drivers. Case Study In response to the increase in detection rates around driving whilst impaired through drugs, a pilot project has begun in Moray aimed at reducing and addressing drug related harm. The pilot is designed to provide sustained support to people with a drug dependency with a view to reducing associated risks through direct referral to Moray based ‘Arrows’ Drug and Alcohol support service. The pilot will evaluate before the next review period and initial feedback from drivers referred into service has been very positive by supporting addiction beyond enforcement. Page 30
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Acquisitive Crime Objective: Reduce acquisitive crime, by working with partners to facilitate interventions for those involved in, or those vulnerable to becoming involved in, acquisitive crime Acquisitive crime is a high-volume matter accounting for a substantial number of all crimes reported in Scotland, often targeting the most vulnerable in our society. As stated in the executive summary a single crime series perpetrated by two individuals over the course of an evening can significantly impact on crime figures. There have however, been notable improvements in a number of areas of Group 3 crime over the reporting period inclusive of theft of a motor vehicle which has seen a reduction of 60%. The Financial Crime Triage Hub (FCTH) has been a key component of North East Division’s response to cyber and financial crime and has been referenced in previous reports, taking the learning and development of this unit the Acquisitive Crime Triage Hub (ACTH) was formally launched on 1st April 2025. The ACTH carry out a similar role to the FCTH, under the leadership of the operational Acquisitive Crime lead for the division and work alongside the FCTH and Divisional Cyber Enabled Crime Team (DCECT). This allows a holistic approach and view of Acquisitive crime as it continues to evolve. Centralised governance, functionality and oversight, supports effective decision making around investigation, focus on the planning of crime prevention / reduction initiatives, positively impacting performance through collaboration with relevant partners and ensuring crimes trends are identified, shared both locally, nationally and effectively targeted. The ACTH identify opportunities for diversion for those involved in acquisitive crime and ensure the protection of vulnerable members of the community from becoming victim and further victim of acquisitive crime. The ACTH carry out a daily review of all Acquisitive crime in the division. They assess the threat/risk/harm relative to the incident and ensure the most appropriate ownership based on that assessment. They provide support and guidance on how to progress specific enquiries inclusive of contact with neighbouring divisions and forces out with Scotland. They work closely with Community Policing Teams to target repeat offenders and ensure early intervention and coordinated multi-agency responses. Page 31
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Objective: Reduce acquisitive crime, by identifying locations where acquisitive crime is most likely to occur and work with communities and partners to find lasting preventative solutions With the ever-evolving nature of Acquisitive crime it is of paramount importance that whilst tackling acquisitive crime locally and ensuring local priorities are met that we recognise the importance of engagement and partnership with forces across the United Kingdom taking cognisance of the inextricable link between crime trends across the entire UK and that Organised Crime Groups do not respect geographical boundaries. Locally the Crime Reduction Unit and the ACTH, as referenced previously, provide support and guidance to local Officers, businesses and victims of crime in our area. Nationally a 4P (Prevent, Protect, Prepare, Pursue) partnership approach has been adopted to clearly define the key workstreams required to protect our communities from the harms of acquisitive crime in a holistic approach. Our local set up within North East Division allows direct link to the national picture, ensuring we are aware of impacting crime trends and travelling OCGs whilst also being able to feed in directly should we become victim of such crimes ensuring swift apprehension and co- operation throughout Scotland and the wider UK. During the reporting period Moray was subject of acquisitive crime from different OCG’s originating from England who variously travelled across Scotland to commit crime inclusive of our own area. Such acquisitive crime includes organised crime groups carrying out high value retail crime, theft of cooking oil and the theft of copper cabling which has seen a significant increase across the United Kingdom due to the price of copper now being at an all-time high. Local identification of investigation teams, provision of crime prevention advice and identification of any vulnerabilities through our local structures then allows the relevant departments and investigating teams to link in with other divisions, Police forces and organisations UK wide. This in turn facilitates the sharing of intelligence and coordinating approaches to tackling Serious Organised Acquisitive Crime. Case Study During May, the FCTH identified four vulnerable people subject to enhanced safeguarding measures to prevent them from being further victimised. FCTH passed relevant details of vulnerability and criminality to bank staff as part of the ‘Vulnerable Victim Identification Scheme’ with referrals made to partners in Adult Support and Protection as appropriate. Enhancement in this area has seen improvements in identification and relevant safeguarding for vulnerable individuals who would be susceptible to this form of criminality. Page 32
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Objective: Raise public awareness, and prevent instances, of cyber enabled and cyber dependent acquisitive crime As highlighted previously the methodologies and nature of acquisitive crime specifically Fraud and cyber enabled and dependant crime continues to evolve and requires a multi-layered and modern approach to tackling this unique crime space. The FCTH and DCECT continue to engage and provide expert advice to local partners and businesses across Moray. This is supported by Crime Reduction Officers at inputs and engagement sessions with a focus on delivering messaging into hard-to-reach Community Groups and those groups where vulnerabilities were present through age or health conditions. These localised engagements were also supplemented with community advice sessions within Banking facilities across the region. Investment scams, cold calling and Crypto related fraud continue to be in the main, perpetrated by individuals overseas which provide a variety of investigative and preventative issues in regard to safeguarding our communities. The FCTH have been exploring opportunities for website takedown requests to disrupt and disable platforms used to facilitate Fraud. This is unfortunately a relatively reactive response which involves the identification of suspected scam/fraud sites and contact made with the hosting platforms to request the removal of these sites. This can be through social media adverts, identified sites via victims of scams or other fraudulent indicators present. Given the complexities in this area and heavy reliance on overseas co-operation it reinforces the requirement for local initiatives, local engagement and prevention advice and literature to prevent members of our community becoming victims in the first place. Despite the obvious and stated complexities it is an area North East Divisions DCECT and FCTH have been spearheading, using a process which has been recognised nationally at the Scottish Cyber and Fraud Centre. Assistance has been further sought from Police Scotland Data Science and AI lead for methods of improving and refining this process to better protect our communities. Case Study In April, the perpetrator convinced four different persons in the Moray area that he was employed by a reputable company involved in home improvements, as a result of which he took deposits totalling over £40,000. Three of these incidents were reported to Police several weeks apart and FCTH identified the incidents, commonalities and the subsequent fraudulent scheme. FCTH contacted Trading Standards Moray who advised of the fourth victim and were able to acquire a banking warrant for the suspect’s account. Collaboration between Trading standards and Police ultimately led to the arrest, interview and charge of the male and him being reported to the courts. Page 33
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Counter Terrorism & Domestic Extremism The North East CONTEST Multi-Agency Board and associated subgroups continue to deliver the UK CONTEST Strategy across the North East of Scotland, aiming to reduce the risks of terrorism using the Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare principles. • PROTECT – strengthening our borders, infrastructure, buildings, and public spaces against attack. • PREPARE – where an attack cannot be stopped, to reduce its impact and ensuring we can respond effectively. • PURSUE – to disrupt or stop terrorist attacks. • PREVENT – to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. In line with the Moray Local Policing Plan, we aim to reduce the risk of terrorism so people can go about their lives freely and with confidence by focusing on the local delivery of the CONTEST strategy using four key objectives: PROTECT – with partners we will share knowledge so that our communities and businesses can strengthen protection against terrorist attacks In this reporting period, Counter Terrorism Security Advisors (CTSA’s) conducted 49 security inspection visits to sites of a sensitive nature across a number of industries. They continue to provide expert advice to the military helping implement and improve security measures and training staff in CT related streams, such as the Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) suite of products and See Check and Notify (ScaN) training. Work is ongoing to provide online security briefings for Councillors under the banner of Operation Ford. Borders Policing Command Officers continue to conduct operations at a number of ports across Moray to gather intelligence whilst proactively identifying and dealing with the illegitimate passage of persons and goods in various industries including fishing, oil & gas and leisure, routes which criminals and terrorists may seek to exploit. PREPARE – with partners we will mitigate against the impact of terrorist attacks Counter Terrorism Planning Officers and CTSA’s are engaged in the planning for various events and gatherings across Moray, providing expert advice and guidance to event organisers. Page 34
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL PURSUE – with partners encourage and share information to identify and tackle suspicious activity The PURSUE strategy allows national Counter Terrorism structures within Police Scotland to provide information and assessments to North East Division’s CONTEST Multi-Agency Board. This process informs local policing teams and partners on emerging themes and other relevant matters. All information and intelligence relevant to Counter Terrorism is assessed and actioned appropriately by Counter Terrorism resources based within North East Division. There has been no significant deviation in terms of expected volume or trends during this period within Moray. However, the Local CONTEST Board, Local Contest Liaison Officers (LCLO’s) and national Police structures are in place to monitor and respond appropriately. PREVENT – with partners safeguard vulnerable persons from being drawn into Terrorism Within Police Scotland a ‘Prevent’ referral process is in place which allows Police and partners to assess and respond to information and intelligence which may require early intervention and safeguarding from potential harm which could be caused by individuals. This process is well established across the North East with representation from relevant partners to ensure wide ranging professions are present and perspectives gained to collectively manage people who are vulnerable to radicalisation. Referrals coming from various agencies demonstrates our approach is working well. There has been no significant deviation or trends in this area which cause concern. Page 35
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Performance statistics These statistics can be found in their expanded form at: How we are performing - Police Scotland Recorded Crime - Moray 2024/25 5 Year Average 2025/26 Group 1 - Non-Sexual Crimes of Violence Murder (excluding culpable homicide at common law) 0 0.2 0 Culpable homicide (common law) 0 0 0 Culpable homicide (other) 2 0.6 0 Attempted murder 7 3.4 2 Serious Assault (of an emergency worker) 1 0.2 0 Serious Assault (inc. FGM, culpable & reckless conduct - causing injury) 24 22 21 Common Assault (of an emergency worker) 46 47.4 64 Common Assault 428 419.2 515 Robbery (including assault with intent to rob) 16 9.8 4 Domestic Abuse*1 377 * 380 Stalking 8 7.6 7 Cruel & Unnatural treatment of children 10 4 21 Threats and extortion 10 14.2 9 Other group 1 crimes 4 3.6 10 Group 2 – Sexual Crimes Rape 30 26.6 25 Attempted rape 0 1 5 Sexual assault 76 62.4 70 Indecent photos of children 9 8.8 9 Communicating indecently 20 15.6 21 Causing to view sexual activity or images 26 21 22 Threatening or Disclosure of intimate image 9 7.6 11 Other Group 2 crimes 18 17 19 Group 3 - Crimes of Dishonesty Housebreaking (incl. attempts) - dwelling house 15 18 16 Housebreaking (incl. attempts) - non-dwelling 6 10.2 12 Housebreaking (incl. attempts) - other premises 9 19.2 7 Opening Lockfast Places - Motor Vehicle 2 2.8 22 Theft of a motor vehicle 43 29 17 Theft from a Motor Vehicle, Insecure etc 12 14.8 30 Attempt theft of motor vehicle 2 2.8 1 Opening Lockfast Places - NOT Motor Vehicle 8 12 8 Common theft 137 120.2 132 Page 36
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Theft by shoplifting 175 118 227 Fraud 88 96.4 104 Other Group 3 crimes 42 35.6 40 Group 4 - Damage and reckless behaviour Fireraising 27 21.4 43 Vandalism (inc. reckless damage, etc.) 305 267.4 233 Reckless conduct (with firearms) 1 0.4 0 Culpable & reckless conduct (not firearms) 10 12.6 14 Other Group 4 crimes 0 0.6 4 Group 5 – Crimes against society Possession offensive weapon/knife in school (not used in crime) 1 1.8 3 Possession offensive weapon/knife in a private place (not used in crime) 6 1.6 1 Other possession of offensive weapon/knife (not used in crime) 9 17 19 Possession offensive weapon/knife in school (used in criminal activity) 4 2.4 2 Possession of a corrosive substance (used in criminal activity) 0 0 1 Other possession of offensive weapon/knife NEC (used in criminal activity) 26 19.2 29 Production, manufacture or cultivation of drugs 3 2.6 5 Supply of drugs (incl. possession with intent) 10 15.6 42 Other drugs offences (incl. importation) 0 0.4 0 Possession of drugs 212 171.4 165 Offences relating to serious and organised crime 0 0 1 Bail offences (other than absconding) 103 99.4 102 Other crimes against public justice 92 84 94 Other crimes against society 2 0.6 1 Group 6 – Antisocial offences Breach of the Peace 17 13.8 8 Threatening or abusive behaviour 265 260.4 282 Hate Crimes*2 51 * 46 Drunk and incapable 2 1 1 Consume alcohol in designated place (local bye-laws) 2 1.8 0 Other alcohol related offences 2 4.2 4 Urinating 5 6.2 15 Group 7 – Miscellaneous offences Wildlife offences 6 11.8 4 Offences involved animals (not wildlife) 8 10.6 9 Community and public order offences 66 71 76 Environmental offences 1 2.8 1 Licensing offences 6 10.2 4 Group 8 – Road traffic offences Page 37
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Dangerous driving offences 29 27.2 33 Driving Carelessly 64 68.4 94 Driving under the influence 101 75.6 113 Speeding offences 22 126.8 62 Seat belt offences 8 14.8 9 Mobile phone offences 51 36.4 52 Unlawful use of motor vehicle 296 291.4 349 *1 Please note, due to the different sources of data being used, and the different methodology/counting rules, comparison of recorded domestic crimes from the 1 April 2024 with recorded domestic crimes prior to the 1 April 2024 is not advised, hence the removal of the 5 Year Average. *2 Please note, comparative figures for Hate Crime are limited to one year, due to different methodology/counting rules since 1 April 2024. % Detection Rates - Moray 2024/25 5 Year Average 2025/26 Group 1 - Non-Sexual Crimes of Violence Murder (excluding culpable homicide at common law) 0 100.0 0 Culpable homicide (common law) 0 0 0 Culpable homicide (other) 50.0 66.7 0 Attempted murder 100.0 105.9 100 Serious Assault (of an emergency worker) 100.0 100.0 0 Serious Assault (incl. FGM, culpable & reckless conduct - causing injury) 75.0 87.3 71.4 Common Assault (of an emergency worker) 93.5 96.6 109.4 Common Assault 67.1 66.2 75.5 Robbery (including assault with intent to rob) 93.8 79.6 100 Domestic Abuse*1 62.6 * 73.4 Stalking 62.5 73.7 85.7 Cruel & Unnatural treatment of children 90.0 110.0 95.2 Threats and extortion 10.0 8.5 0 Other group 1 crimes 75.0 55.6 80 Group 2 – Sexual Crimes Rape 66.7 53.4 56 Attempted rape 0.0 40.0 40 Sexual assault 61.8 53.8 72.9 Indecent photos of children 77.8 81.8 33.3 Communicating indecently 45.0 50.0 95.2 Causing to view sexual activity or images 46.2 45.7 59.1 Threatening or Disclosure of intimate image 22.2 44.7 54.5 Other Group 2 crimes 27.8 55.3 63.2 Group 3 - Crimes of Dishonesty Housebreaking (incl. attempts) - dwelling house 53.3 48.9 31.3 Housebreaking (incl. attempts) - non-dwelling 16.7 21.6 25 Housebreaking (incl. attempts) - other premises 100.0 43.8 71.4 Page 38
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Opening Lockfast Places - Motor Vehicle 0.0 7.1 100 Theft of a motor vehicle 37.2 60.0 70.6 Theft from a Motor Vehicle, Insecure etc 33.3 44.6 73.3 Attempt theft of motor vehicle 100.0 78.6 100 Opening Lockfast Places - NOT Motor Vehicle 12.5 26.7 0 Common theft 32.8 29.1 27.3 Theft by shoplifting 68.6 69.2 74.4 Fraud 21.6 18.7 9.6 Other Group 3 crimes 50.0 46.1 40 Group 4 - Damage and reckless behaviour Fireraising 44.4 34.6 39.5 Vandalism (incl. reckless damage, etc.) 29.8 33.0 38.6 Reckless conduct (with firearms) 0.0 50.0 0 Culpable & reckless conduct (not firearms) 60.0 65.1 57.1 Other Group 4 crimes 0.0 66.7 50 Group 5 – Crimes against society Possession offensive weapon/knife in school (not used in crime) 100.0 88.9 66.7 Possession offensive weapon/knife in a private place (not used in crime) 16.7 37.5 0 Other possession of offensive weapon/knife (not used in crime) 100.0 87.1 89.5 Possession offensive weapon/knife in school (used in criminal activity) 100.0 100.0 100 Possession of a corrosive substance (used in criminal activity) 0.0 0.0 100 Other possession of offensive weapon/knife NEC (used in criminal activity) 88.5 83.3 65.5 Production, manufacture or cultivation of drugs 66.7 84.6 80 Supply of drugs (incl. possession with intent) 190.0 105.1 83.3 Other drugs offences (incl. importation) 0.0 100.0 0 Possession of drugs 88.2 97.4 93.3 Offences relating to serious and organised crime 0.0 0.0 100 Bail offences (other than absconding) 101.0 99.2 98 Other crimes against public justice 98.9 97.4 94.7 Other crimes against society 100.0 100.0 100 Group 6 – Antisocial offences Breach of the Peace 100.0 100.0 87.5 Threatening or abusive behaviour 81.1 80.6 89 Hate Crimes*2 70.6 * 71.7 Drunk and incapable 100.0 140.0 100 Consume alcohol in designated place (local bye-laws) 100.0 77.8 0 Other alcohol related offences 100.0 95.2 100 Urinating 100.0 109.7 100 Group 7 – Miscellaneous offences Page 39
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Wildlife offences 50.0 59.3 25 Offences involved animals (not wildlife) 75.0 81.1 66.7 Community and public order offences 66.7 61.7 78.9 Environmental offences 0.0 50.0 100 Licensing offences 100.0 72.5 200 Group 8 – Road traffic offences Dangerous driving offences 69.0 81.6 75.8 Driving Carelessly 82.8 87.7 94.7 Driving under the influence 105.0 95.0 93.8 Speeding offences 100.0 98.9 100 Seat belt offences 100.0 98.6 100 Mobile phone offences 102.0 100.5 100 Unlawful use of motor vehicle 98.0 98.2 96 *1 Please note, due to the different sources of data being used, and the different methodology/counting rules, comparison of recorded domestic crimes from the 1 April 2024 with recorded domestic crimes prior to the 1 April 2024 is not advised, hence the removal of the 5 Year Average. *2 Please note, comparative figures for Hate Crime are limited to one year, due to different methodology/counting rules since 1 April 2024. Page 40
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Report to: POLICE AND FIRE AND RESCURE SERVICES COMMITTEE Meeting Date: 5 February 2026 Report by: LSO ANDREW WRIGHT, LOCAL SENIOR OFICER, ABERDEEN CITY, ABERDEENSHIRE & MORAY Author: GC Davie Hendry Contact Email: david.hendry@firescotland.gov.uk Subject: SFRS Local Fire and Rescue Plan Update 1. PURPOSE ☒ For Decision ☐ For Information 1.1 The purpose of this report is to inform the Committee of the current Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan and the proposed timeline for it to be reviewed and updated. Approval was given by the Committee to extend the current plan to 2025 with, some slight amendments to Priorities, on 8 of February 2024 (Paragraph 7 of the minute refers). 1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (J) of the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to relating to Police and Fire and Rescue Services in Moray. 2. SUMMARY 2.1 This report provides an update on the Current Local Fire and Rescue Plan for Moray. 3. RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 It is recommended that Committee consider and note the contents of the report. Davie Hendry Group Commander 4. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT 4.1 The Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan 2021-2024 was approved by this Committee for and on behalf of the Local Authority. Item 6. Page 41
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4.2 Section 41H Provision of information to local authority of The Police and Fire (Scotland) Reform Act 2012, states: • SFRS must give to a local authority such information or reports relating to the carrying out of SFRS’s functions in the authority’s area (including reports given by reference to any local fire and rescue plan in force for the area) as the authority may reasonably request. 4.3 The performance report provides those outcomes, as per Section 41H and 41K of the Act, applicable to the annual Moray Ward Performance Report for The Moray Council Area in the context of the Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan 2021-24. 4.4 The information contained within the report on Appendix 1 details local area performance for period 1st April 2025 to 1st October 2025. 5. PROPOSALS 5.1 There are no proposals arising from this report. 6. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 6.1 The table below shows whether risks and implications apply if the recommendations are agreed: SUBJECT YES NO Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcome Improvement Plan) x Policy and Legal x Financial x Risk x Staffing x Best Value and Transformation x Property x Information Communications Technology/Digital x Equalities. Social Inclusion and Economic Impact x Climate Change and Biodiversity Impact x 6.2 Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP)) Improved Collaborative Leadership, as part of continuous improvement through Best Value, will better enable the Council to fulfil the ambitions set out in its strategic plans. a) Links to Council Corporate Plan – The proposals in this report support and contribute to improved outcomes for communities as outlined in the following Council Plan strategic priorities: ☒ Tackle Poverty and Inequality. ☒ Build Stronger Greener Vibrant Economy. ☒ Build Thriving, resilient, empowered Communities. Page 42
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b) Links to Local Outcomes Improvement Plan – The proposals in this report support and contribute to improved outcomes for communities as outlined in the following Local Outcomes Improvement Plan priorities: ☒ Developing a diverse, inclusive, and sustainable economy ☒ Building a better future for our children and young people in Moray. ☒ Empowering and connecting communities. ☒ Improving wellbeing of our population 6.3 Policy and Legal This report is brought before the Moray Police and Fire Committee within its remit for local scrutiny and governance arrangements. 6.4 Financial There are no financial implications arising from this report. One off Costs: Service Area Budget Budget Years Proposed Spend this Year Virement From Other Comments N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Annually Recurring Costs: Service Area Budget With Effect From Annual Net Impact Virement From (if applicable) Other Comments N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 6.5 Risk There are no risk implications arising from this report 6.6 Staffing There are no staffing implications arising from this report 6.7 Best Value and Transformation There are no Best Value and Transformation implications arising from this report 6.8 Property There are no Property implications arising from this report 6.9 Information Communications/Technology/Digital There are no Information Communication / Technology / Digital implications arising from this report 6.10 Equalities, Social Inclusion and Economic Impact Not Applicable 6.11 Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts Page 43
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Not Applicable 7. CONSULTATION 7.1 Not Applicable 8. BACKGROUND PAPERS 8.1 Not Applicable Page 44
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Appendix 1 Moray (Extension of the plan agreed on 8th February 2024) Item 6. Page 45
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Contents Foreword 1 Introduction 2 National Context 3 Local Context 5 Performance Scrutiny 9 Local Priority 1 Domestic Fire Safety and Unintentional Harm in the Home 10 Local Priority 2 Non-Fire Emergencies and respond to the impact of Climate Change 11 Local Priority 3 Deliberate Fire Setting 12 Local Priority 4 Non-Domestic Fire Safety including Accidental Primary and Secondary Fires 13 Local Priority 5 Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals 14 Local Priority 6 Operational Preparedness and Community Resilience 15 Performance Indicators 16 Review 17 Contact Us 17 Page 46
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 1 Foreword As Local Senior Officer for Moray and as Chair of Moray Police and Fire & Rescue Service Committee, it gives us pleasure to present the Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan for 2021. This plan details key priorities for the next three years, how we intend to deliver against these and associated performance measures. This reflects our continued contribution to ensure Moray is a safe place to live, work and visit. The Local Fire and Rescue Plan has been developed as an outcome of a detailed local area assessment allowing for the targeting of resources to those most vulnerable or at risk from fire and/or harm in Moray communities. This extends to and includes within the home, workplace, environs and natural and build heritage. As a statutory partner, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is committed to continued collaboration within the Community Planning Partnership to support the delivery of Local Outcome Improvement Plans and Locality Plans. A key aim for us is to work together with communities to target our resources to where the need is greatest. It is fundamental that we invest in preventing the problems of the future through a strong commitment to early intervention and focus on “Place”. Andrew Wright Councillor Peter Bloomfield Local Senior Officer Chair Area Commander Moray Police and Fire & Committee Rescue Service Committee Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray (ACAM) Page 47
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 2 Introduction The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 provides the statutory basis for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) to deliver a range of core services and functions. While the service is ready to respond to fire and other emergencies, it also maintains a strong focus on prevention and protection arrangements to ensure the safety of our communities. The associated Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2016 and SFRS Strategic Plan 2019 -22 sets the overarching strategic direction for the SFRS. Our focus remains firmly on Working Together for a Safer Scotland and our local contribution to making Moray a safe place to live, work and visit. This establishes a clear and committed message of what we are here to do. Our ambition goes well beyond ‘safer from fire’. It means we are committed to making people safer from experiencing the effects of harm, much of which is driven by social and economic inequality. The Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan details the priorities which are most significant within Moray and sets out to identify solutions to deliver a broad range of prevention services which add the greatest value to peoples’ lives. A common understanding between agencies and communities of local priorities will allow for better integration of plans, co-production and coordination of services to target prevention activity where it will be most effective. We will therefore increasingly deliver our prevention work through the deployment of our local area community safety action team. Our safety work goes beyond protecting people in their own homes. We also have a statutory duty under Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 to provide advice and enforce fire safety regulations in most non-domestic buildings across Moray. To do this more efficiently and effectively across a wider range of community issues and risks requires strong collaborative working with our partners and communities. The introduction of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 (CEA) and Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 reinforces the commitment required of local partners to plan together with communities. We will continue to integrate fire and rescue services with other community planning partner services to prioritise and achieve shared goals in all of Moray’s communities. Early in 2020 we faced an unprecedented challenge in the form of a global pandemic. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we dramatically changed how we worked so that we could continue to deliver an emergency service whilst keeping our staff and the public safe. The pandemic is expected to have a lasting effect on society, and this will change the way in which we deliver services in the long-term. The full implications are not yet known, and this makes it difficult to make any far-reaching plans with certainty. As such we will keep the priorities of this Plan under regular review to ensure it remains relevant and appropriate. Page 48
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 3 National Context Scottish Ministers set out their specific expectations for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in the Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2022. This provides seven strategic priorities with objectives and guidance to create the outline we should follow to ensure our resources and activities are aligned with the Scottish Government’s Purpose and national outcomes. The Framework also defines the SFRS organisational purpose as: ‘To work in partnership with communities and with others in the public, private and third sectors on prevention, protection and response to improve the safety and wellbeing of people throughout Scotland.’ Our Strategic Plan 2022-25 has been designed to meet these national expectations. Set against a complex and evolving backdrop, our Strategic Plan encapsulates both our mission and our values and it outlines the seven Strategic Outcomes that we aspire to achieve. The Strategic Plan 2022-25 is structured against, and complements, the seven Strategic Priorities identified by the Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2022. Page 49
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 4 Our Strategic Plan is supported by a three-year Strategic Plan Programme which provides details on all the activities we intend to carry out to successfully achieve our ambitions. The Programme informs our Annual Operating Plan, which provides specific detail on the actions we carry out each year, and from which our performance is scrutinised. This Plan is a statutory Local Fire and Rescue Plan. It sets local direction to meet the strategic outcomes and objectives outlined above. It also demonstrates how we will contribute to Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs). Page 50
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 5 Local Context Moray lies in the North East of Scotland between Inverness in the Highlands to the West and Aberdeenshire to the East. It sits along the south shore of the Moray Firth and extending further south into the Cairngorm Mountains and National Park. Its area of 2,238 square kilometres makes it the eighth largest council area in Scotland. The area is mostly rural, comprising 70% open countryside and a further 25% woodland. However, in terms of its population, it ranks 22nd out of 32 with a population of 95,520 (National Records of Scotland). Just over half the population live in the five main towns of Elgin, Forres, Buckie, Lossiemouth and Keith. Moray is a diverse area of rich agricultural landscape and is renowned for whisky and scenic coastline. There are a significant number of listed buildings, conservation areas and other culture and artistic assets within the area. There are 68 designated protected areas either wholly or partially within Moray. The age profile of Moray varies from the Scottish average. In terms of overall size, the 45 to 64 age group was the largest in 2018, with a population of 27,550. In contrast, the 75 and over age group was the smallest, with a population of 9,184. Between 2018 and 2028, the 0 to 15 age group is projected to see the largest percentage decrease (-14.1%) and the 75 and over age group is projected to see the largest percentage increase (+32.4%). In terms of size, however, 45 to 64 is projected to remain the largest age group. The Moray economy is still largely based on its natural resources with focus on agriculture, fishing, forestry, food products, whisky and tourism. The largest employer is the Ministry of Defence with bases at Kinloss and Lossiemouth. Statistical information on the population, local economy, housing and employment land development in Moray and its main towns can be obtained from the “National Records Of Scotland” website at: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//statistics/council-area-data-sheets/moray-council-profile.html The SFRS participates as a statutory partner within community planning in Moray and this extends to and includes our involvement in the Local Outcome Improvement Plan, Community Planning Partnership, Public Protection Partnership, Police, Fire and Rescue Services Committee, and Area Forums as examples. In addition, and to support wider community safety the SFRS is a member of Grampian Local Resilience Partnership (GLRP). Moray CPP Board formally agreed four priorities for Moray: • Growing, diverse and sustainable economy • Building a better future for our children and young people in Moray • Empowering and connecting communities • Changing our relationship with alcohol. The SFRS locally will proactively support the above priorities through deployment of necessary resources as aligned to the priorities detailed within this plan. http://www.yourmoray.org.uk/downloads/file118306.pdf The SFRS locally will proactively support the above priorities through deployment of necessary resources as aligned to the priorities detailed within this plan. Page 51
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 6 Moray is served by 12 Community Fire and Rescue stations, 1 permanently staffed at Elgin, a volunteer station at Gordonstoun School and the remainder on a part-time basis by our cadre of retained duty system (RDS) staff. This is supported through local and national department staff in Training & Employee Development, Prevention & Protection (Fire Safety Enforcement and Community Safety & Engagement), Response & Resilience, Finance, People and Organisational Development, Fleet and Asset Management. Moray presents a unique and diverse range of risks for the fire and rescue service to protect and respond to. These range from commercial industry that includes the whisky industry, military bases, marine transport, the vast network of roads, heritage sites, agriculture, an ageing population and associated socio-demographics, as examples. External national and local challenges faced include climate change and the threat from International terrorism. Page 52
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 7 Protecting and responding to those most vulnerable and at risk from fire and/or harm in the home is a key priority for us. This includes the reduction of casualties and fatalities associated with accidental fires in the home and our contribution to making the home a safe place to live free from harm and risk. This can only be achieved through effective collaboration with partners and will do so through the priorities contained within this plan and support from Moray Community Planning Partnership. Evidence reflects the incidents of Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals (UFAS) and the detrimental impact this has on businesses, economy and our RDS firefighters is an area of concern and as such has been rightfully identified as a priority. This extends to our fire safety enforcement programme aimed to ensure the safety of public, visitors and businesses across Moray. The SFRS locally attends an unwelcoming amount of road traffic collisions (RTC) in Moray. SFRS local staff will ensure a continued contribution to road safety and the reduction in casualties and fatalities that occur on Moray roads. This extends to and includes our lead role in delivering Crash Live events, our contribution to successful road safety initiatives such as Safe Drive Stay Alive and our contribution to the North East Road Casualty Reduction Strategy. Through our wider contribution to community resilience and aligned to our work with the Community Planning Partnership we will explore ways in how we can further maximise the use of our community fire and rescue stations and our staff in communities. The network of community fire and rescue stations are located in key towns in Moray and have opened our doors to a variety of groups including the provision of CPR life-saving awareness skills to members of the public in support of our commitment to Scottish Government Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest strategy. The response to, and recovery from, major emergencies as defined within the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 will continue through our participation in the GLRP. These arrangements include the emergency plans and agency specific operational orders and procedures and are intended to facilitate an effective joint response to any emergency affecting Grampian or the North of Scotland. These emergency plans are written in response to identified hazards and are recorded in the GLRP Community Risk Register. The development of a local youth engagement framework and supporting young persons in our communities is also seen as a priority area in support of reducing anti-social behaviour and incidents of deliberate fire setting in key areas of Moray. As a statutory partner in The Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016, The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 (CYPA) and GIRFEC (Getting it Right for Every Child) provides a unique foundation to support the development of such youth engagement activities through supporting restorative justice programmes and the delivery of our Firesetter Intervention and Re-education Scheme (FIReS). The provision of community safety information and making adjustments to how, what and when we will communicate with communities is an important aspect of our work. The effective use of the media can support communities through targeted or generic safety information to the promotion of events and vacancies in the Moray Area. Whenever possible we will deliver joint safety messaging along with our partners through the use of social media, broadcast, publications, leaflets and newspapers. In order to meet the needs of Moray and support wider community safety agenda in Moray the following priorities have been identified and these will be delivered from 2021 onwards: Page 53
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 8 • Unintentional Harm and Home Safety • Non-Fire Emergencies • Deliberate Fire Setting • Non-Domestic Fire Safety including Accidental Primary and Secondary Fires • Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals • Emergency Response and Community Resilience Page 54
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 9 Performance Scrutiny The Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan is scrutinised and approved via the Council’s administration and governance route of the Police and Fire & Rescue Services Committee. To ensure performance monitoring is consistent with our strategy we will work with our managers, staff representatives and wider partners to develop a comprehensive set of performance measures against the outcomes, priorities and objectives outlined in this Local Fire and Rescue Plan. These measures will form the basis of our future performance reports, which will enable us to continue to provide relevant, accurate, timely and consistent data and information to maintain effective scrutiny and challenge both at national and local levels. In support of this Local Fire and Rescue Plan, there are eleven individual station plans which detail more localised activities and give ownership to our community fire and rescue stations across the area. The Local Senior Officer and / or their deputy will attend Moray Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee and provide an update on progress against this plan, overall performance, and any other matters deemed relevant to the delivery of fire and rescue matters in Moray. Local Group and Station Managers, or their deputies, will continue to attend Area Forums. Local Station Managers, or their deputies, will engage with elected members, communities, community councils and other key stakeholders. Page 55
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 10 Local Priorities 1. Domestic Fire Safety and Unintentional Harm in the Home Background: Unintentional harm in the home environment, and in particular, accidental fires, slips, trips, falls and burns/scalds to the very young and old, is now widely recognised as presenting significant issues to the health of the public, as well as the wider impact these injuries have on our public services. Working with our community safety partners in Moray and across Scotland, SFRS has a significant role to play in contributing towards identifying those at persons most vulnerable and/or at risk, the risks they are exposed to, and reducing those risks, either directly through SFRS, or indirectly through partner intervention. Our key aim is to improve safety, including fire safety and reducing injury and/or harm. The SFRS is the national lead for Building Safer Communities Phase 2: Reducing physical and psychological harm and champion “Home Safety”. The promotion and delivery of free Home Fire Safety Visits remain a priority theme for the SFRS locally across Moray and these visits will be expanded to include home safety and through a targeted approach delivered to those most vulnerable and at risk from fire and/or harm in the home We will achieve it by: • Promoting and undertaking Home Fire Safety Visits to those deemed most vulnerable and at risk from fire and/or harm. • Providing an additional focus on cooking related fires which have accounted for 172 (65%) of the 264 accidental dwelling fires that occurred over the last five years. • Working with our partners in Moray to share information where risks within the home have been identified and to provide solutions to reduce risk and protect those from harm. • Focusing engagement activities in those areas where service demand has been identified. Performance Indicators: • Number of Accidental Dwelling Fires • Number of Accidental Dwelling Fire Casualties and Fatalities • Number of Home Fire Safety Visits Delivered (broken down by category High/Med/Low) Expected Outcomes: • Ongoing reduction in the number of accidental dwelling fires compared to the three-year rolling average. • Ongoing reduction in the number of accidental dwelling fire casualties and fatalities compared to the three-year rolling average. Page 56
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 11 2. Non-Fire Emergencies and respond to the impact on Climate Change Background: A core part of SFRS’s activity locally is responding to emergencies such as road traffic collisions (RTC’s), co-response to medical emergencies and flooding, as examples. Firefighters are trained to a high standard and have at their disposal the most modern equipment for the rescue of persons in traumatic situations. The SFRS has a crucial role at a local level in contributing to the wider road safety agenda, as statistically fire and rescue operational activity continues to be an area of concern within Moray for the SFRS, local and national statistics identify that the most at risk group is young male drivers. Moray has experienced significant flooding events in recent years. The SFRS has a duty to respond to and support communities in recovering from these incidents. The development of our local water rescue teams strategically located across the area has significantly improved emergency response and public safety. We will achieve it by: • Continuing to contribute to Moray Community Planning Partnership initiatives such as Crash Live, Safe Drive Stay Alive and Operation Cedar • The SFRS locally will support the priorities of the North East of Scotland Road Casualty Reduction Strategy and our contribution to evidence based and partnership led initiatives • Contributing to the development of local flood action plans and supporting local community initiatives • Contributing to the Grampian Local Resilience Partnership • Staff development and allocation of resource to meet local and national need. Performance Indicators: • Number of all Non-Fire Emergencies. • Number of Road Traffic Collisions. • Number of Road Traffic Collision Casualties (Fatal and Non-Fatal). Expected Outcomes: • Reduction in the number of Road Traffic Collisions. • Reduction in the number of casualties resulting from Road Traffic Collisions (Fatal and Non- Fatal). • Contributing to reducing the impact of large-scale flood events for business community and people. Page 57
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 12 3. Deliberate Fire Setting Background: Deliberate fire setting accounts for a significant number of operational incidents within Moray and takes various forms. Whilst a small proportion involves occupied buildings, vehicles and outdoor structures (primary fires), the majority of deliberate fires are classed as secondary fires (grass, bushes, refuse etc.) and on most occasions, occur in outdoor locations. In Moray evidence reflects that deliberate fires can be closely linked to antisocial behaviour. Youth engagement is a key area of work in relation to this priority and we will continue to run our youth engagement initiatives and develop these further to create maximum impact. Dealing with instances of deliberate fire setting can divert fire and rescue resources from other meaningful activities. We will achieve it by: • Delivery of thematic and multi-agency action plans tailored to meet local need • Continuing to utilise recognised SFRS Firesetters, Fireskills and Fire Service Youth Volunteer Scheme and our involvement in the Moray “Children’s Service” plan • Increasing community fire safety education in targeted areas where most deliberate fires occur • Continuing work with our partners to develop joint risk reduction strategies to further mitigate the impact of deliberate fires and the economic and social cost to the community. Performance Indicators: • All Deliberate Primary and Secondary Fires Expected Outcomes: • Reduction in the number of Deliberate Fires. • Reducing the negative impact on local communities. • Diverting young people away from anti-social behaviour to positive destinations by encouraging them to be good citizens, through initiatives such as Firesetters, Fireskills and The Fire Service Youth Volunteer Scheme. Page 58
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 13 4. Non Domestic Fire Safety including Accidental Primary and Secondary Fires Background: The SFRS has a statutory duty to promote fire safety under Part 2 (section 8) of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 (as amended) to include provision of information aimed at preventing fire and reducing fire deaths and injuries, restricting fire spread and advising on means of escape from buildings. All such workplaces and business premises involved in fire are classed as Non-Domestic Fires. Sleeping risks are seen as a particularly high fire risk since most fatal fires occur at night when people are less vigilant and at their most vulnerable. Residential care homes and Houses in Multiple Occupation make up the greatest proportion of these risks within the Moray area. Accidental primary and secondary fires include fires involving agricultural land, forestry and moorland also present a unique risk to the Moray area as it contributes substantially to the local environment by providing economic benefit through tourism, employment and industry. It is a key role for the SFRS locally to promote fire safety to land owners and the farming community and in doing so contribute to making Moray a safe place to live, work and visit. We will achieve it by: • Continuing the fire safety audit programme for high-risk premises. • Engaging with the business community to highlight their responsibilities for compliance with fire legislation. • Identifying trends in building types and conducting thematic fire safety audits. • Contribution and engagement with recognised national and local wildfire groups. Performance Indicators: • All Non domestic fires (Relevant Premises). • All Accidental primary and secondary fires. Expected Outcomes: • Assisting the private and business sector in understanding their fire safety responsibilities. • Ensuring that buildings are safer, people feel protected and the opportunities for acts of deliberate or wilful fire raising are reduced. • Supporting and protecting business continuity and employment within Moray. • Contribute to protecting our natural heritage, biodiversity and environment. Page 59
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 14 5. Priority – Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals Background: The SFRS aim is to reduce the impact of unwanted fire signals generated by automatic detection systems on service delivery, business and commerce. By doing this we aim to improve the safety of Aberdeenshire communities and businesses by ensuring that our service is more readily available for genuine emergencies. An Unwanted Fire Alarm Signal (UFAS) is defined as a signal transmitted by an Automatic Fire Detection (AFD) system reporting a fire where, upon arrival of the fire service, it is found that a fire has not occurred. UFAS are entirely avoidable through good system design, management practice, procedure, maintenance and the appropriate use of space within buildings. Key building types will be identified and monitored closely by our Fire Safety Enforcement staff with supportive interventions offered to duty holders and responsible persons. The incidents attended by local staff not only impact on local business but also on our part-time retained duty system firefighter’s primary employment. All operational response crews provide advice to occupiers on every occasion that we attend a UFAS incident. Our Fire Safety Enforcement Staff monitor UFAS calls and take appropriate action at the various stages as stipulated in SFRS policy. We will achieve it by: • Identifying premises with high UFAS activity levels to determine if they comply with the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and have appropriate fire safety management procedures in place. • Engaging with owners and occupiers to provide necessary support, advice and guidance for developing suitable action plans for UFAS reduction. • Robust call management and implementation of service policy for UFAS. • Educating our frontline emergency response staff to identify problems, support responsible persons and provide feedback to our fire safety enforcement department. Performance Indicators: • Number of UFAS Incidents. Expected Outcomes: • Reduce the unnecessary demand and impact on the public and business sector through lost working time including employers releasing RDS staff to respond to such calls. • Reduce the road risk to staff and wider community. • Reduce SFRS’ carbon footprint through less vehicle movements. • Reduce the unnecessary cost of fire and rescue service response. Page 60
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 15 6. Priority – Operational Preparedness and Community Resilience Background: The SFRS has a statutory duty to reduce the risks to our communities and to make certain that they receive the best possible service. It is essential our firefighters possess the skills, knowledge and expertise to respond to incidents which, by their nature, can be varied in both their type & complexity. The SFRS has a duty to prepare for and respond to major emergencies. The scope of such preparations may include responding to adverse weather events, natural disasters, pandemics, chemical incidents or major transport incidents. The threat of terrorism also compels the SFRS to ensure it can also respond alongside other partner agencies should such an event occur. It is essential that we have enough staff with the right skills in the right place at the right time to deliver our services when communities need them. We will achieve it by: • Ensuring our staff are developed and equipment is fit for purpose to meet our current and future risk profile and adaptable to changing circumstances. • Ensuring all known local risk information is obtained, communicated and tested. • Working locally with partner organisations to ensure effective emergency response plans are developed for identified local risks including our own local business continuity plans. • Fulfilling our statutory duties in relation to the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) by way of our contribution to Grampian Local Resilience Partnership and North of Scotland Regional Resilience Partnership. Expected Outcomes: • Keeping our staff and members of the public safe should an incident occur. • Reducing the financial burden and disruption caused to our communities when emergencies occur. • Proactively helping the wider community by contributing to preventing emergencies, planning to mitigate their effects when they occur, and by adding value through focus on prevention and protection. • Contribute to community resilience through maximising the use of our estate and resources. Page 61
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 16 Performance Indicators PRIORITY: DOMESTIC FIRE SAFETY AND UNINTENTIONAL HARM IN THE HOME KPI Target Number of Accidental Dwelling Fires Ongoing reduction in the number of accidental dwelling fires compared to the three-year rolling average. Number of Accidental Dwelling Fire Casualties and Fatalities Ongoing reduction in the number of accidental dwelling fire casualties and fatalities compared to the three-year rolling average. Number of Home Fire Safety Visits Delivered (broken down by category High/ Med/ Low) Increase in the number of Home Fire Safety Visits delivered within ‘High’ risk premises compared to the three-year rolling average. PRIORITY: NON-FIRE EMERGENCIES AND RESPONDING TO THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CAHNGE KPI Target Number of all Non-Fire Emergencies Monitor all Non-Fire Emergencies and ensure appropriate resources are in place to respond. Number of Road Traffic Collisions Ongoing reduction in the number of Road Traffic Collisions compared to the three-year rolling average. Number of Road Traffic Collision Casualties (Fatal and Non-Fatal) Ongoing reduction in the number of Road Traffic Collision Casualties (Fatal and Non- Fatal) compared to the three-year rolling average. PRIORTY: DELIBERATE FIRE SETTING All Deliberate Primary and Secondary Fires Ongoing reduction in the number of Deliberate Primary and Secondary Fires compared to the three-year rolling average. PRIORITY: NON-DOMESTIC FIRE SAFETY INCLUDING ACCIDENTAL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FIRES Number of Non-Domestic Fires (Relevant Premises) Ongoing reduction in the number of Non- Domestic Fires compared to the three-year rolling average. All Accidental Primary and Secondary Fires Ongoing reduction in the number of Accidental and Primary Fires compared to the three-year rolling average. PRIORITY: UNWANTED FIRE ALARM SIGNALS Number of Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals Ongoing decrease in the number of Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals compared to the three-year rolling average. Page 62
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Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan Page 17 Review To ensure this Local Fire and Rescue Plan remains flexible to emerging local or national priorities a review may be carried out at any time but will be reviewed at least once every three years. A review may also be carried out if the Scottish Minister directs it or if a new Strategic Plan is approved. Following a review, the Local Senior Officer may revise the Plan. Contact Us We are fully committed to continually improving the service we provide to our communities and recognise that to achieve this goal we must listen and respond to the views of the public and our partners. We use all feedback we receive to monitor our performance and incorporate this information into our planning and governance processes in order to continually improve our service. We are proud that the majority of feedback we receive is positive and we are keen to hear examples of good practice and quality service delivery that exemplifies the standards of service that we strive to provide for the communities of Scotland. If you have something you would like to share with us or you require additional information, you can get in touch in a number of ways: Write to: Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Moray LSO Headquarters Pitmedden Road Dyce AB21 0DP Phone: 01224 728628 Visit our website: www.firescotland.gov.uk Like us on Facebook @Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Page 63
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