There has been an 8% rise in serious violence in Fife according to the latest figures.
Fife’s most senior police officer, newly promoted Chief Superintendent Colin Gall, said: “The increase of 8% in serious violence is of concern but we are already tackling this as a priority, matching our response to the Your View Counts survey where violent crime was identified as an area the public wants us to address.”
He said dedicated resources were targeting violent criminals and each area had a tailored plan to address specific problem facing Fife’s diverse communities.
He added Fife was using national resources such as the Operational Support Division and Safer Communities to bolster response.
However, Mr Gall said: “You are less likely to be a victim of a violent crime in Fife than last year, with a reduction in overall violent crime of 3%, or 136 charges.”
The figures, he added, showed that levels of crime have been maintained at the low levels of the last five years.
Between April 2016 and March 2017 there was a 10% drop in housebreakings, 18% fall in vehicle crime and 18% reduction in robberies.
Mr Gall said officers had worked hard to ensure victims had confidence to report sexual crime to the police.
There has been a significant increase in reporting historic crime.
Just under half of all rapes reported in Fife are historic in nature, he said.
“To put this into context, we have had reports of sexual crimes that happened over 60 years ago.
“A 5% rise in sexual offences is a direct result of this increased confidence, with victims able to access help and support from specially trained officers,” he said.
Road safety had also significantly improved with a 12.5% drop – equating to 11 fewer people – seriously injured or killed on Fife’s roads.
Mr Gall said the force has focused on “visible policing” and educating motorists, which has resulted in a fall in speeding cases while resources targeting careless or dangerous driving has risen by nearly 43% on last year.
Mr Gall, who was promoted last month, said he was delighted to have his post officially confirmed.
He added: “Since I moved to Fife last year I have been very impressed with the hard work and dedication shown by officers and staff, particularly the way that local communities get involved with them both online and offline in a collective effort to keep the kingdom safe.”
