Why are they getting away?

Edinburgh's city police commander Kenny MacDonald is quite right to identify domestic housebreaking as his number one priority.

Crime is falling but so too are detection rates in the Capital

There are of course far more serious crimes but among relatively common offences this is the one that causes the most misery, with the cost counted in lost peace of mind as much as stolen valuables. This is one place where Edinburgh police are making progress following the catastrophic decision to abandon its specialist housebreaking under Police Scotland.

That however is the silver lining behind a dark cloud.

The culprits are caught for only one in four break-ins - and just one in four crimes overall - in the Capital.

A big, bustling city is always going to be harder to police than rural communities. But the police should be making great strides in tackling crime right now when the overall number of offences is falling. In Edinburgh, in fact, the opposite is true - the detection rate is getting worse.

That will raise concern.

Closing local police station counters will not have helped, breaking a link with communities. But questions will be asked about whether police numbers are sufficient for a fast growing city with extra Capital city duties.