According to Edinburgh residents, Police Scotland need to prioritise housebreakings and antisocial behaviour as matters of urgency in the Local Policing Plan. This was established through a survey involving over 6,000 local residents, making it the biggest policing-related poll ever conducted in the city, the Edinburgh Evening News reports.
Chief Superintendent Mark Williams said the results will inform policing decisions for the city. Police commanders are working on “ward plans” to tackle crimes in 17 council divisions and will take into account the specific concerns of area residents.
Every council ward except one listed break-ins on the list of local community crime concerns. Williams confirmed that housebreakings are a central policing issue for the city by stating that the crime would be given “absolute priority” in the year ahead. Since the police have made progress in reducing violence and antisocial behaviour, break-ins have climbed to the top of the list.
According to figures published last week, the rate of break-ins jumped by 23% in the last 11 months but less than a third of cases were solved. The dedicated investigation teams were disbanded upon the creation of the single force but the massive drop in solvency rates prompted their reformation in December.
Antisocial behaviour is another key concern for Edinburgh residents. Next on the list is violent crime, with other issues such as road safety and drugs cited among the top concerns of locals.
This information was gathered through a public consultation that included 2,400 street polls and over 2,600 online surveys, the Scotsman added. The police also surveyed hundreds of people during community meetings and requested input from members of the business community.