Violent crime in Edinburgh drops but drug-related robberies rise slightly as dealers hike prices during lockdown

Violent crimes in Edinburgh have dropped year-on-year but there has been a slight increase in drug-related robberies as dealers hike prices during the lockdown.

The latest Police Scotland data, from April 1st 2019 to March 31st, shows there were 182 more violent crimes than the previous year but this includes 205 offences recorded under new domestic abuse legislation, which covers the full range of abusive behaviours - physical, psychological, financial or sexual.

It means there has actually been a decrease in reported violent crime, with 77 fewer serious assaults (18 per cent reduction), five fewer attempted murders (19 per cent reduction) and five murders compared to six in the previous year.

Chief Superintendent Sean Scott, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh.

Chief Superintendent Sean Scott, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh, says this is partly down to the effects of lockdown restrictions meaning fewer people on the streets and less alcohol-related violence at night.

However, he stressed that work has been done prior to lockdown with the Violence Reduction Unit to put more resources into tackling such crimes.

Chief Sup Scott said: "Our primary purpose is keeping people safe. Edinburgh is one of the world's safest Capitals but the job we are doing is reaffirming that."

The total number of recorded rapes and attempted rapes has also fallen year-on-year, from 236 to 184 incidents, with a very slight drop in the proportion of cases being solved - but the overall rate of solving sex crimes has increased, particularly a six per cent rise in the detection rate for sexual assaults.

Chief Sup Scott says more work has been done to raise awareness of the dangers of sex crimes, particularly with the student population.

Drug-related robberies

Chief Sup Scott also said there have been "one of two more incidents" of drug-related robberies over the lockdown period, which appears to be down to people in this fraternity turning to crime for more money to buy drugs sold by dealers at higher prices due to less availability.

He said: "The lockdown is starting to have an impact on the drug market.

"People will commit crime to buy more expensive drugs so we are keeping a close eye on that."

The latest year-on-year figures also show 88 more drug supply charges (22 per cent rise) were brought against members of the public, with a rise from 1,985 to 2,507 (26 per cent rise) recorded drugs possession offences.

Chief Sup Scott said this has been driven by more proactive work in Edinburgh to search houses and vehicles llinked to organised crime groups, and at two large scale dance festivals held at the Royal Highland Showground in Ingliston.

More knives found

Chief Sup Scott also said that more still needs to be done to tackle the continued use of weapons, particularly bladed items, and says the Violence Reduction Units is working tirelessly to identify those who both carry and use weapons to remove them from communities.

School link officers also regularly speak with pupils in high schools to raise awareness of the risks of carrying a weapon.

The latest year-on-year data shows 36 more recorded incidents of bladed weapons being found, a 23 per cent increase.

Chief Sup Scott says they do not know exactly why there has been an increase, but that weapons are often found through intelligence-led vehicle stop and searches related to suspicion of drugs offences.

He said: "If people intend to tool up it's really a case of us emphasising that, if you are going to assault someone with a weapon, you stand a very good chance of a serious outcome."

Overall crime falls

The latest Police Scotland figures show that overall crime in Edinburgh has dropped year-on-year by 818 offences, or 1.6 per cent.

Other notable decreases in crime include housebreakings, which are down by 18 percent, and shoplifting which has reduced by 783 incidents, a reduction of 16 per cent.

The report also says there have been 80 fewer motor vehicle crimes on Edinburgh's roads, a reduction of just over three per cent.

The number of road casualties in the division also fell from 936 to 779 – a decrease of 153 incidents. Similarly, the number of fatalities has reduced from seven to three.

However, drink and drug driving offences in the Capital has also increased year-on-year from 371 to 430 incidents – a 15 per cent rise.

Chief Sup Scott also said that hate crime has also fallen in the Capital of late, with a year-on-year decrease in racially aggravated incidents from 323 to 312.

He said: “We don’t have a night time economy just now. Quite often, those running shops or doing security type work are targeted, as well as people on public transport. So the number of hate crimes has dropped but once things start to ramp up again, we need to be ready.”

Antisocial behaviour – including noise and vandalism reports – also continues to fall in Edinburgh, with 1,383 fewer incidents than the previous year, a 3.6 per cent decrease.