Item 7a - Police Scrutiny Report - Q2
West Dunbartonshire Council · 22 November 2023
Back to Housing & Communities Committee — 22 November 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL West Dunbartonshire Performance Summary Report Reporting Period: Q2 – April to September 2023 Total Crime 405 Crimes Incidents Recorded Overall Dishonesty Domestic Abuse Incidents +1.5% +25.8% +10.2% 0% -13.8% +88.9%* Road Deaths and Serious Injuries +1%* Sexual Crime +1626*PYTD, -742*5YR AVG +9*PYTD, +109*5YR AVG +200*PYTD, +189*5YR AVG +65*PYTD, +21*5YR AVG No change*PYTD, +9*5YR AVG -15*PYTD, -11*5YR AVG +8*on PYTD +22*PYTD Violent Crime Missing People Counter Terrorism +7*PYTD +4%* +8*PYTD, +6*5YR AVG Common Assault +9.9% Housebreaking Disorder Complaints The National Terrorism Threat level is SUBSTANTIAL This means that an attack is likely. *PYTD = Previous Year to Date *5YR = 5 year average +8.3% +12.5% ITEM 7a
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL SECTION PAGE NUMBER Introduction 2 Executive Summary 3 Demand Analysis 4 Acquisitive Crime 5 Public Protection 6 Road Safety 7 Serious Organised Crime 8 Violence 9 Antisocial Behaviour 10 Public Confidence - Complaints & Allegations 11 Introduction I am pleased to present this performance summary report to the West Dunbartonshire Housing Committee for its information and consideration. The Reporting Period for this report is cumulative for Quarters 1 and 2 of 2023, with figures being shown from 1st April 2023 through to 30th September 2023. Please note that all data included in this report are management information and not official statistics. All data are sourced from Police Scotland internal systems and are correct as of date of publication. Unless stated otherwise numerical comparisons are against the previous year to date and the previous five year average for the same data period specified. Crimes and offences are grouped under recognised categories for statistical purposes. The Scottish Government defines these categories, as follows: Group 1 - Non Sexual Crimes of Violence Group 6 - Miscellaneous Offences Group 2 - Sexual Crimes Group 7 - Offences relating to motor vehicles Group 3 - Crimes of Dishonesty PYTD - Previous Year to Date Group 4 - Fire Raising, Malicious Mischief CYTD - Current Year to Date Group 5 - Other (pro activity) Crimes
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL PRIORITY AREA EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Acquisitive Crime At the end of Quarter 2, acquisitive crimes show an increase of 200 crimes compared to the same period last year. This is largely due to notable increases in shoplifting, vehicle crime and common theft. Financial Harm remains on the current work plan for Adult Support and Protection within West Dunbartonshire. Our Locality Policing Teams regularly liaise with banking staff to provide advice and respond to reported incidents of fraud. As a result strong partnerships are in place with early alert mechanisms. Public Protection Group 2 sexual crimes have seen a reduction of 13.8% with 94 crimes recorded compared to 109 at the end of Quarter 2 last year. The number of recorded crimes of Rape have decreased from 21 to 18, while the number of sexual assaults recorded has remained unchanged, consistent year on year. We have continued focus on gender based violence and sexual offending ensuring we are prioritising the safety of victims by maximising partnership working opportunities. Road Safety & Road Crime The number of fatal road traffic collisions within West Dunbartonshire remains unchanged from the same period last year with 1 fatality recorded during the reporting period. Road traffic collisions involving serious injuries have increased from 8 to 16, while collisions involving slight injuries have seen a reduction from 19 to 16. Serious Organised Crime At the end of Quarter 2, both drugs supply and possession charges have increased from 39 to 50 and 310 to 339 respectively. Across Argyll & West Dunbartonshire 20 persons linked to serious and organised crime (SAOC) have been arrested and £131,113 seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) Violence & ASB At the end of Quarter 2, Group 1 crimes of violence have remained consistent compared to the previous year to date. Anti-social behaviour (ASB) related crimes have seen a reduction from 1436 to 1335 (-7%) We continue to prioritise Violence and ASB and we are engaging with our partners to ensure that we can respond effectively to emerging trends. 1. Acquisitive Crime 2. Public Protection 3. Road Safety & Road Crime 4. Serious Organised Crime 5. Violence & Anti-social behaviour WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE POLICING PRIORITIES 2023-2026
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL CRIME PYTD CYTD INCIDENTS PYTD CYTD Total Crimes & Offences 4909 5314 Total number of incidents 12,957 14,583 DEMAND ANALYSIS - * PYTD - PREVIOUS YEAR TO DATE CYTD - CURRENT YEAR TO DATE * * * * The total volume of crimes and offences recorded within West Dunbartonshire has increased by 8.3% from the previous year and is currently 8% above the previous 5 year average. The overall rise in crime levels is largely due to a substantial increase in acquisitive crimes (+25.8%) followed by offences relating to motor vehicles. Police proactive crimes such as weapon carrying and drug offences have also increased. Both acquisitive and driving offences have also seen notable increases on the 5 year average. Group 1 crimes of violence have remained consistent compared to the previous year. Group 2 sexual crimes and miscellaneous offences have seen an overall reduction of 13.8% and 7% respectively and remain below the 5 year average.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL ACQUISITIVE CRIME Shoplifting crimes have seen the highest increase (234 to 342) and remain above the previous 5 year average. Year to date there have been 44 more shoplifting crimes that have been detected. This is a national picture which may be increasing as a result of the cost of living. At the end of Quarter 2, domestic housebreakings have increased slightly by 8 year to date. Housebreakings at commercial properties have seen a reduction and are down by 12 crimes. There has been an increase in motor vehicle crimes with 101 recorded compared to 52 last year. Thefts from motor vehicles have the highest increase (24 to 71). Theft of motor vehicles has also risen from 28 to 30. Much of the increase in these thefts are attributed to one repeat offender who has subsequently been arrested and remanded in custody. The detection rate for vehicle crimes has increased from 30.8% to 60.4%. Common thefts have seen an increase from 228 to 270, while fraud crimes have seen a reduction from 129 to 111. Both figures remain above the 5 year average. The impact of the cost of living is impacting on the increased volume of acquisitive crime within our local communities. Our town centre based community officers continue to engage with local retailers to provide support and a visible presence to deter criminality. This upward trajectory is very much in line with a national rise in retail related acquisitive crime. We continue to focus on those retailers most affected, providing prevention advice and guidance. We also ensure our officers are fully aware of local support networks which allows us to signpost vulnerable individuals for support. As we move forward our Festive Safety Campaign will include additional support for our retailers as well as scam prevention sessions to local vulnerable groups A number of successful arrests have been made whose criminal activity account for a number of acquisitive crime offences. These included an individual charged with 25 separate car crime offences in Bonhill and Alexandria and an individual charged with 13 theft by shoplifting offences from a retail premises in Balloch. The courts and police are bound by the Lord Advocates guidelines in relation to the presumption of liberty for offenders. This reduces the likelihood of custodial sentences, however, we do pursue bail conditions and in some cases have secured custodial remands form the court to reduce harm in the community.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL We are upskilling our staff ensuring they are able to deliver a victim centred approach to gender based violence. We are introducing domestic abuse champions to ensure officers are confident, supported and properly equipped with skills and guidance when dealing with these often serious and complex investigations. Bespoke perpetrator management plans have been introduced to robustly police those offenders posing the greatest risk of harm in a domestic setting. These plans complement our existing safeguarding processes for victims and children at risk of domestic abuse. We continue to support potential victims of human trafficking by carrying out local and national investigations. We work closely with partners to ensure victims receive emotional and practical support within our communities. Every effort is made to capture and consider threat, risk and harm bespoke to each individual and to establish if any criminality has occurred. At the end of Quarter 2, Group 2 crimes show an overall reduction of 13.8% compared to the same period last year. Rape crimes have reduced from 21 to 18, while sexual assaults have remained almost unchanged. The number of domestic abuse incidents reported to the police has risen by 10.2% however the total number of domestic related crimes recorded has reduced by 2.5% YTD. Approximately 88% of rape crimes occurred in a private place with 82% committed by persons known to the victim. Similarly, around 70% of sexual assaults occurred in a private place with 89% committed by persons known to the victim. Just over half of all sexual assaults during this reporting period are non-recent reports. The detection rate for rape crime has increased by 39.7% and is currently 77.8%, while the detection rate for sexual assaults has reduced from 79.4% to 51.4% year on year. Crimes relating to indecent images/communications have also seen a reduction with almost 33% being committed by persons known to the victim. A total of 181 missing person reports have been recorded by the end of Quarter 2, which is a slight increase from last year. Adult missing person reports have increased slightly from 67 to 76, while reports relating to children have remained fairly consistent. PUBLIC PROTECTION
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Across the reporting period, there has been 1 road death in West Dunbartonshire. Serious injuries have doubled from 8 to 16 while slight injuries have reduced slightly. Offences relating to motor vehicles have increased by 10.7% (an increase of 143 offences) compared to the previous year. Much of the increase is due to notable rises in insurance offences (+57), neglecting traffic directions (+25), using a motor vehicle without a test certificate (+24) and careless driving (+19) which have all been proactively detected. Road Traffic Casualties 2022/23 2023/24 Number of persons killed on our roads 1 1 Number of persons seriously injured 8 16 Number of persons slightly injured 19 16 Number of children seriously injured 0 0 Throughout Quarter 2, we have engaged in positive partnership working between Roads Policing and the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency. Our focus was on improving road safety within our communities, with a particular focus on protecting vulnerable road users. A series of Safe Towing videos have been produced and shared via our social media following a change in legislation around driving licence requirements. This helps people better understand legal towing limits, hitching, unhitching and safety checks. A local Partnership Approach to Road Safety is being formed. This group will focus on locations of concern and key contributing factors from road traffic collisions where someone has been killed or seriously injured to enable us to prioritise education and enforcement towards key locations and demographics. We have continued to maximise our visibility on the trunk roads with our focus on speed detection and driver behaviour being the primary activities. We are also planning our festive road safety campaigns to ensure that we are prepared for the increase in road users across our communities during the festive period. ROAD SAFETY AND ROAD CRIME
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Across Argyll & West Dunbartonshire, 20 persons linked to serious and organised crime have been arrested and £131,133 has been seized under POCA since 1st April 2023. At the end of Quarter 2, drug supply charges have increased from 39 to 50 crimes, which is slightly below the previous 5 year average. Similarly, drug possession charges have increased from 310 to 339. Both figures are testament to the proactive work being carried out by officers. West Dunbartonshire benefits from a dedicated Pro-active Serious and Organised Crime Team (SOCT). These specialist officers are supported by dedicated intelligence officers in tackling serious and organised crime in our communities. The work of the SOCT and the continued upturn in detection rates of those involved in the supply of controlled drugs in our communities, is underpinned by the valuable work undertaken by our Local Policing Teams (LPT), providing the local connection to target drug dealing, developing local intelligence and progress concerns identified by members of the community. The LPT is focussed on emerging risks, patterns and concerns, many of which are also raised by elected members. Notable recoveries are often shared on our social media platforms to ensure the community knows when we detect those responsible for the supply of controlled drugs. In a recent and ongoing investigation in Clydebank, vast quantities of Heroin and Cocaine were seized from a property the street value of which is estimated to be close to £1,000,000. The increase in drug supply charges in the second quarter reflect the significant work ongoing to target those offenders who are involved in serious and organised crime in the sale and supply of controlled drugs. We remain responsive to information and intelligence relating to drug supply developing this into enforcement action by our SOCT. SERIOUS & ORGANISED CRIME
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL VIOLENCE Violent crime continues to be closely monitored and reviewed with investigations being resourced across Local Policing Teams and the Criminal Investigation Department. Each crime is subject of daily review and scrutiny and thereafter allocated to the most appropriate department to progress to assist in identification of repeat victims, offenders and locations. Any emerging issues and risks are shared and appropriate actions identified. An example of that is our robbery profile where we have prioritised the disruption of known violent offenders to impact on this trend. We created a short-term team to focus on analytical and intelligence led data targeting known violent offenders within our communities. Intelligence led stop search and a focus on those with outstanding warrants has led to the arrest of 20 individuals in the last quarter. This focused approach has allowed us to provide a proportionate response to a rising concern. Levels of violence in West Dunbartonshire have remained unchanged. 55% of all crimes took place in a private place, and 53% of those in a public space were committed by persons known to the victim. Whilst we continue to prioritise violence prevention strategies, sporadic violence taking place behind doors or between individuals known to each other is challenging to prevent. Threats and extortion offences show the highest increase (+8). This is due to a rise in “sextortion” offences with around 93% being committed online involving threats to post indecent images shared between victims and suspects. Many of these offences are committed out with the country reducing the investigative opportunities available. There has been an increase in attempted murders (from 0 to 5) and robberies (from 10 to 16) compared to last year. Three of five attempted murders occurred within public space and two in private places. It is important to note that all attempted murders were committed by persons known to the victim (1 domestic related). The 5 attempted murders have been detected. Nine of the 16 robberies occurred in a public place (7 on a public street, 1 in a commercial store and 1 on public transport). The other 7 crimes occurred in private places. Nine robberies were committed by strangers and 7 were committed by persons known to the victim. The detection rate for robbery has reduced from 80% to 50%.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Across the recording period the number of ASB related calls to Policing Scotland has increased by 1%. Group 6 crimes, which include ASB related offences have seen a reduction of 7% from 1436 to 1335. Common assaults have increased slightly from 494 to 501. Approximately 53% of crimes occurred in public spaces and 47% in private spaces. In 56% of public space crimes, offenders were known to victims. The detection rate for common assaults overall has reduced by 36 crimes (a reduction of 7%). ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR We continue to deploy bespoke local policing plans in response to emerging concerns and ASB complaints. We have built up great partnership working relationships with a host of agencies who offer support to maximise our response. We have introduced a new parent alert letter scheme where we are highlighting local concerns to the parents or guardians of those young persons who are found to be in ASB hot spots. Chalmers Street, Clydebank is an example of our ongoing partnership approach to resolving community concern. A multi-agency action plan was deployed. As a result of direct and indirect police and partner tactics twelve individuals were identified as being responsible for the disorder, and we are engaging with partners and the criminal justice process to ensure those involved are aware of their behaviour and impact on the local community. Our Wilful Fire Raising Partnership which includes the SFRS, Education and the Anti-Social Behaviour Team continues to engage with the local community, deliver educational inputs, provide crime prevention advice and highlight the dangers and consequences of fire-raising. Since the establishment of this group, there has been a 33% year on year reduction in wilful fire raisings and the group has been recognised as best practice by the Scottish Community Safety Network.
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OFFICIAL OFFICIAL PUBLIC CONFIDENCE: COMPLAINTS & USER SATISFACTION Overall satisfaction with Police Scotland User Satisfaction results show that locally, public confidence levels remain high with overall satisfaction levels at 70.5%, which is in line with the position in 2022/23. At the end of Quarter 2, 71 complaints against the police had been recorded within West Dunbartonshire which is a marginal increase from 68 last year. The number of allegations against officers has reduced year on year from 134 to 125. Total of 322 responses The Emergency Services day in Levengrove Park was a resounding success. Prior to the event, we engaged with local primary schools with the pupils designing the poster to promote the event. The winner was selected from St. Michaels Primary School in Dumbarton. This helps us break down barriers with younger people in our communities. On the day, the local community came out in vast numbers to support this. The event provided many partnership organisations the opportunity to speak to the community and explain how they can support them as well as passing on community safety advice. From a local policing perspective it allowed us the opportunity to engage with our communities in an informal way. Chief Inspector Ryan McMurdo retains an overview of all local policing activity in West Dunbartonshire as Local Area Commander. We have also welcomed a further 14 new probationers to Argyll & West Dunbartonshire Policing Division. We are delighted that one of our Special Constables was recognised recently at the Scottish Woman’s Development forum as Special Constable of the Year. Our volunteer officers continue to support local policing, keeping local communities safe.