Overall Sexual Crime Down in Forth Valley
Overall sexual crime has fallen within Forth Valley.
Police Scotland’s Q4 Policing Performance report for 1 April 2022, to 31 March 2023, was presented to the Scottish Police Authority on Thursday 15 June 2023 and this information shows that the total number of sexual offences recorded within the division has reduced from 836, to 663.
This equates to 173 fewer offences, including two fewer incidents of rape and attempted rape and a decrease in offences for threatening or disclosing intimate images from 50, to 36.
There has also been an improvement in detection rates for rape, which has increased by more than three percentage points.
Forth Valley continues to target violent offenders through a range of enforcement and diversionary activities and attempted murders and serious assaults within the division have fallen by two and 28 incidents, respectively.
Assaults on emergency service workers have also decreased from 470, to 364 reports. This is in line with the national reduction in police, fire and ambulance personnel being targeted.
One area that has seen a rise in recorded incidents is acquisitive crime, with overall offences having risen, including 68 more crimes of housebreaking and attempted break-ins, There have also been increases in motor vehicle theft, shoplifting and fraud.
Forth Valley’s local policing teams and CID continue to support national colleagues from the Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce and regularly conduct a range of enforcement and disruption operations aimed at tackling organised crime offences, including drug production and dealing.
As a result, the number of drug supply offences recorded has risen from 168, to 210.
Road safety is a priority for Forth Valley and the number of casualties recorded on the division’s road network have fallen from 278, to 246. There have been eight fewer fatalities, 14 fewer serious injury ad 10 fewer slight injury collisions.
In addition, overall motoring offences have decreased from 5,640, to 5,114. There has been a slight increase in the number of dangerous and drink and drunk driving incidents, however, speeding offences have fallen from 1,387, to 851, while driving while disqualified, driving without a licence, seatbelt and mobile phone offences are all down.
Chief Superintendent Barry Blair, Divisional Commander for Forth Valley, said: “Police Scotland has a comprehensive Violence Against Women and Girls strategy and the work of our Public Protection department aims to reduce the number of incidents where females are targeted for abuse, domestic crime and sexual assault.
“I am encouraged by the reduction in sexual offending we have observed within the division, but we cannot and will not become complacent in our efforts to reduce sexual crime further, protect communities from harm and bring perpetrators of such crimes to justice.
“On a daily basis my uniformed officers, CID detectives and Road Policing teams are working hard within the communities of Stirlingshire, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire to tackle the crimes that most adversely impact the public and keep our roads safe. The successes we have experienced in relation to tackling violent crime, dismantling drug operations and reducing road casualties is testament to the hard work and dedication of these officers.
“We know we must appropriately respond to the rise in offences such as acquisitive crime and will continue to work alongside key partners as part of the Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime strategy. In doing so, we will provide the public with all necessary information they need to prevent falling victim to acquisitive crime, while also identifying crime trends and actively pursuing acquisitive crime offenders.
“The Q4 performance report information is a very useful tool in helping us establish where our resources are best utilised and, as DCC Taylor has stated, Forth Valley and Scotland as a whole, remains a safe place to live and work and, when criticality does arise, Police Scotland responds with high levels of operational competence.”
