By Graham Huband

Glasgow remains Scotland’s crime capital in terms of the number of offences committed per 10,000 head of population, but Aberdeen and Dundee have squeezed ahead of Edinburgh in the 2005/06 league of shame, according to figures released by the Scottish Executive yesterday.

However, Tayside as a whole remains a relatively safe place to live as comparative crime figures for both Angus and Perthshire are well below the national average. In Fife, crime is well down.

The study also confirms that more than half of all crimes reported in Tayside in the last year were solved. The national detection rate is 46%.

Despite progress in recent years, the study shows domestic housebreaking in Dundee is still above the national average.

Bouts of vandalism are also higher than those experienced nationally but crimes involving serious assault and offensive weapons are lower than elsewhere across Scotland.

The region recorded the third highest rate of drugs offences nationally; was third in terms of speeding offences recorded, at more than 22,300; and had the fourth highest number of drink drivers at 1022.

The report, taken to the end of March, highlights a downturn in racially-motivated crime in Tayside from 528 incidents in 2004/05 to 334 in the current year.

Dundee divisional commander Chief Superintendent Ian Alexander accepted the report as accurate but said it was open to interpretation.

“While we accept the headline figures produced by the Scottish Executive are accurate, it is important for people to realise that in terms of crimes involving victims there has been a significant reduction in the last five years in most major crime groups.

“What we have seen is an increase in detected crimes by pro-active policing—crimes that would never be found if police were not actively seeking them, such as drugs, weapons and breaches of bail—and also an increase in minor crime reporting, which is aided by the ability to report crimes through the internet and by Email.”

He added, “The interpretation of statistics is an extremely complicated business, and that is why we employ crime analysts.”

Dundee East MSP Shona Robison said members of the public remained ‘frightened’ by crime. She said, “While the drop in recorded crimes is to be welcomed, the figures remain far too high and still require urgent attention.

“In Dundee we have been conducting a paper-based survey across the whole city with the thousands of respondents noting crime and anti-social behaviour as their biggest concern.

“As well as living a life free of crime, the people of Dundee should be able to live free from the fear of crime. While the drop in crime stats is to be welcomed, this dip has not permeated through to the residents of this city, who remain frightened.”

* Crime in Fife is down by 4% so far during 2006/7 and detection rates are up, Chief Constable Peter Wilson has revealed, writes Bruce Fegen.

Mr Wilson said, “The work of the force and the community safety partnership has contributed to the 4% reduction in crime this year, and an increased detection rate. This builds upon the 13% reduction in crime recorded in 2005/2006

“It has been a busy period for the force, with local and national issues demanding our attention. We have been concentrating on volume crime, introducing the national pilot for the alcohol test purchasing scheme, and raising the profile of our activities to detect those in our communities who still drink and drive.

“Partnership activities in Leven, Cupar and Glenrothes have helped to provide positive activities for our young people.”