Return of night time economy keeps police in Midlothian busy

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A report into crimes committed across the county over the third quarter of the year saw serious assaults and robbery increase. Meanwhile, drugs supply offences fell by nearly 35 per cent.

Midlothian area commander Arron Clinkscales told a virtual meeting of Midlothian Police and Fire Rescue Board that an operation was under way to crack down on “nominals coming from down south to infiltrate the vulnerable drug dependent in our community, particularly in the Mayfield and Woodburn areas of Dalkeith.”

And he revealed last month members of the Midlothian Community Action Team (MCAT) had been involved in the seizure of 1300 street Xanax tablets from a house in Penicuik.

He added: “That was a good result in the knowledge there are a few homeless accommodations in Penicuik that this drug was getting sold to people there.”

The increase in violent crime was being put down to the reopening of some establishments in the county.

Chief Inspector Clinkscales said: “Violence has risen as we see our night time economy starting to kick back in slowly but surely.”

Presenting the report to the board the offences were compared to a five year average rather than the same period in 2020 when the county was in lockdown.

Overall crime in Midlothian fell by over 15 per cent during the reporting period with the number of house break-ins almost halved to 143 offences.

Presenting his report the chief inspector said that house break-ins was a priority with officers checking up on repeat offenders in the community.

He said: “This is a continued focus of mine that I have tasked the MCAT to deal with together with the proactive bail checks to make sure recidivist offenders who have been released are adhering to their bail curfews and not out in the community committing further crime.

“My commitment is as always, I will police Midlothian robustly but fairly and I intend to make it a hostile place for crime and anti-social behaviour and a better and safer place for families and our communities to flourish.”