By Stefan Morkis

RECORDED CRIME has fallen in Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross—but has soared in Fife.

Figures released to the Scottish Parliament show that there were 19,121 crimes in Dundee in 1997-98 but that this fell to 15,512 in 2006-07.

In that 10-year period, there were falls in the number of non-sexual crimes of violence, serious assaults, rapes and attempted rapes, and handling of an offensive weapon.

Police in Dundee have also managed to cut housebreakings by more than a half—from 2640 to 1201.

There has been a rise in number of incidents of vandalism and drug-related crimes, however.

The drop in recorded crime contrasts sharply with Fife, where there has been a near 40% rise in crime over the last decade.

Fife Police recorded 22,856 crimes in 1997-98, but this had soared to 30,304 in 2006-07.

Over the past 10 years in Fife, there have been rises in all categories of crime except housebreaking—although crime has fallen over the past three years after hitting a peak of 34,862 in 2004-05.

Non-sexual violent crimes rose from 338 to 550 while the number of serious assaults rose from 88 to 275.

In Angus, recorded crime has dropped from 6829 in 1997-98 to 6099 10 years later.

There has also been a fall in recorded crime in Perth and Kinross—from 8586 to 7634.

The figures were released in a written answer by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill in response to a question by Mid Scotland and Fife Tory MSP Murdo Fraser.

He said, “When you break the figures down, what is really clear is that over the last few years police have really got a handle on housebreaking thanks to new technologies like DNA.”

Mr Fraser added, “All other crimes seem to be going upwards, and that’s particularly the case for violent crime.

“It is a very serious social problem”

Fife’s Chief Constable Peter Wilson said that the figures showing a rise in crime should not be taken at face value and that detection rates have also been on the increase.

“Our focus in recent years has been to support the victims of crime by ensuring they feel confident and have the mechanisms to report crime,” he said.

“2004/5 saw the introduction of the Scottish Crime Recording Standard meaning every incident which is perceived to be a crime must be recorded as such, which significantly impacted on our crime figures for that year.

“In 2004 we opened our new contact centre with far superior call handling capability.

“This means that around an additional 30,000 calls a year are taken which would have not been answered under the old system. This, in turn, means more crimes being reported.

“While we have made significant progress in reducing acquisitive crime such as vehicle thefts and housebreaking, much more needs to be done to deal with the marked increase in the amount of vandalism and anti-social behaviour crime recorded.

“While there is an advantage in more incidents being reported so that we can build up a more accurate picture of where and when crime is being committed and who is responsible, we appreciate the concerns of our communities.”

Detective Superintendent Colin McKay from Tayside Police said that the force would not become complacent, despite successfully reducing crime in Dundee.

“There has been quite a significant drop over the last 10 years, which we welcome,” he said.

“It’s a result of focusing on ongoing crimes, not only on our own but working in partnership with the council and other agencies.

“The past few years have seen the introduction of community wardens and quite a focus on anti-social behaviour—all of these things have contributed to the fall.

“There are a lot of different factors and, although we welcome the drop, we are not complacent.

“But a 4000 reduction in the number of crimes obviously means 4000 less victims.”

DS McKay added that the rise in drug-related crimes was down to a concerted effort on the part of the force to crack down on addicts and their crimes.

“There are a number of chaotic drug users who are themselves responsible for a lot of crimes,” he said.

“There is a significant drug problem but the high figures are also a result of our pro-activity in tackling it.

“We do see it as an important issue,” he added.