Crime Levels Up By 3% In The Highlands
There's been a rise in the number of food thefts in the Highlands in recent months and police think they know why.
There's been a rise in the number of food thefts in the Highlands in recent months and police think they know why.
Chief Superindendent Julian Innes has told MFR News that people are stealing in order to eat.
He said: "We've seen more shoplifters than ever in the Highlands and our view is that people are stealing to feed themselves."
He made the comments as Police Scotland released it's latest crime statistics - noting a 3 per cent rise in the first quarter of this year.
Councillor Hamish Fraser welcomed the report by Chief Superintendent Julian Innes.
He added: “The rise in shoplifting reported here today is also of concern and there are wider social and economic issues at play here. Theft from our shops is not a victimless crime and results in higher costs for everyone. I would especially like to see the bigger supermarkets and shops taking action to address this problem.”
It wasn't all bad news though as Police noted a drop in the number of road traffic accidents.
The figures show that seven people were killed on the roads in the Highlands compared to eight for the same period last year.
The number of people detected for drink/drug driving offences was 153 compared to 152 and the number of people detected speeding was 2864 compared to 1910.
The number of people reported in relation to drug offences has increased from 68 for the first quarter of 2014/15 to 94 for the same period of 2015/16.
Commenting on the figures, Chief Superintendent Julian Innes said: “We continue to focus our resources on the issues that local communities tell us matter to them. Road safety is our number one priority and I am pleased that we are seeing some improvements. However, any death on our roads is regrettable and we will continue our work to raise awareness about the dangers of the road. The way we deploy our road policing resources is just one way we deal with road safety and we will make no apology for taking action against those who pose a danger on our roads by committing offences like drink or drug driving, speeding or using a mobile phone.
“Our officers continue to take action against those involved with drugs and we have seen an increase in the number of people reported. We rely on information from the local community in order to take action and I would encourage people to keep supporting us with this either directly to ourselves or through Crimestoppers.
“I am really disappointed in the rise in violence within the Highlands. There have been far too many serious assaults this year. Alcohol and drugs do play their part but I am calling on the people of the Highlands to respect each other more and to resist from resorting to violence. It is not acceptable and the likelihood is that any person committing an act of violence will be locked up, kept in custody and will appear in court the next day.”
“I am also however encouraged by the increase in reported incidents of sexual offences and domestic abuse as more people come forward in the knowledge that we will take sensitively and thoroughly investigate any report made to us. Much credit has to go to our partners who support us in this challenging area of work, particularly Women’s Aid."