Chief Constable Message / Policing in East Lothian / Crimes & Offences / Force Spending / Policing Review / Policing in the Community / A Local Service / Priorities 97-98
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East Lothian Joint Police Board Members: Divisional Commander: Sub-Divisional Commander: Superintendent Peter Shea Haddington Police Station
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Chief Constable Roy Cameron QPM BA MPhil
This local supplement to my annual report contains details of crime statistics, costs and policing priorities for your area.
It acknowledges the important part played by individuals, groups, organisations and your local council in helping to provide an effective police service. And it also gives you a summary of policing in East Lothian during 1997-98.
We can feel pleased with our successes last year, but we must also look to the future. I am encouraged by the valuable support we receive from our communities and remain determined to develop new partnerships wherever possible. By working together, we can effectively challenge crime and provide a safer environment for everyone.
I would like to thank the Scottish Borders Council and the many other groups, agencies and individuals in the community who have worked with us this year. With your continued support, we aim to provide a first-rate, professional service, tailored to meet the needs of the people of the East Lothian.
Chief Superintendent Kenneth Thomson
I am pleased to report that policing East Lothian during the last year has been successful in several ways.
My officers have worked enthusiastically on many initiatives and proactive strategies to tackle the areas of greatest public concern. We have received valuable support from East Lothian Council and other organisations, and from concerned citizens. I welcome this opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved in helping to cement our partnership against crime.
Under-age drinking continues to cause concern. However, new laws now allow us to confiscate alcohol from young people, and from older people thought to be supplying them. This has proved to be a valuable tool, especially when combined with local bye-laws in Haddington and Prestonpans. These bye-laws prevent people drinking in certain public places and together with high-profile patrols in areas used by under-age drinkers, appear to be having the desired effect.
One of our largest efforts was aimed at reducing vehicle-related crime. 'Operation Parasol' ran throughout the summer months and included various strands including 'Golf Watch'. We launched 'Golf Watch' in July 1997 with the help of golf clubs and hoteliers across East Lothian. Police patrols focussed on car parks and giving crime prevention advice.
We encouraged golf clubs to set up a 'ring round' system which allows them to pass speedy warnings of criminal activity to other likely targets in the county. We also gave car park attendants incident report sheets to help them record information about suspicious people or vehicles. The success of the operation can be seen in a fall of over 50% in tourist and golf-type crime and a similar reduction in cars broken into at visitor car parks throughout East Lothian.
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East Lothian Council has introduced CCTV in Musselburgh and this has helped us greatly in providing a direct and guided police response to crime. As expected, this led to a reduction in vandalism, assault and street disorder offences. I am sure similar benefits will become obvious in Haddington later this year when CCTV is introduced. I am on record as saying that to police East Lothian effectively we need the support of the public. I am pleased that we continue to enjoy that support. The partnership-based Community Safety Forum formed last year is now developing policies to improve the quality of life for everyone in East Lothian. Lothian and Borders Police approves of this approach. But I would urge you to remember that these matters are for everyone. The responsibility for the well-being of our community rests with us all. Accepting that responsibility and working together towards a common goal will stand us in good stead for the future.
Divisional Commander |
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1997-98
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1996-97
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recorded |
solved |
recorded |
solved |
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| Serious assault | 52 | 40 | 62 | 54 |
| Robbery (& assault with intent) | 26 | 13 | 13 | 10 |
| Rape | 9 | 6 | 9 | 7 |
| Indecent assault | 17 | 15 | 17 | 11 |
| Indecent exposure | 14 | 6 | 10 | 2 |
| Theft by housebreaking | 291 | 59 | 392 | 99 |
| Housebreaking with intent (& attempted) | 156 | 35 | 183 | 33 |
| Theft by opening lockfast places (& attempted) | 373 | 68 | 495 | 100 |
| Theft others | 939 | 224 | 902 | 261 |
| Theft of motor vehicles (& attempted) | 213 | 56 | 268 | 86 |
| Theft of pedal cycles | 132 | 14 | 121 | 20 |
| Wilful & malicious fireraising | 55 | 9 | 56 | 9 |
| Malicious mischief or vandalism | 1132 | 240 | 1107 | 206 |
| Other crimes | 735 | 688 | 599 | 556 |
Total |
4144 |
1473 |
4234 |
1454 |
| Solved |
36%
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34%
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Since 1 January 1998, we have followed Scottish Office guidelines for recording
theft and attempted
theft by opening lockfast places. This has resulted in some increases in this
category.
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Surfers on the world- wide web can now access the new Lothian and Borders
Police website. Pay us a visit at www. lbp. police. uk |
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Helped by a series of local policing initiatives, auto- crime dropped again in East Lothian this year. Cars thefts fell by over 16% and 130 fewer vehicles were broken into - a drop of 34%. High- profile police patrols were mounted in and around vulnerable car parks throughout the county. Letters offering crime prevention advice were also sent to owners of vehicles who had left valuables on show for the thief. Simple measures are still often the most effective. If you must leave property in your car, lock it in the boot. |
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Closed circuit television has proved its worth in Musselburgh this year. Since cameras were installed there has been a significant fall in vandalism, assault and street disorder in the area. With a new system about to start in Haddington, and plans proposed for Tranent and Prestonpans, the success of the Musselburgh scheme is welcome news. CCTV can undoubtedly prevent crime and these projects will make East Lothian a safer place to be. |
A fall of 10% in the number of road accident casualties in East Lothian was well ahead of the Force average of 2%. Six people were killed on our roads, four less than last year.
Speed is a major cause of casualty accidents. During the year we caught 1,341 speeding motorists on film on the East Lothian stretch of the A1 alone. By continuing to vigorously enforce the law we will make our communities safer.
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Under 16
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Over 16
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Total
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| 1997-98 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1996-97 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 10 |
| Serious | 7 | 3 | 36 | 42 | 43 | 45 |
| Slight | 52 | 62 | 218 | 239 | 270 | 301 |
| Total | 61 | 66 | 258 | 290 | 319 | 356 |
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‘Problem-orientated policing’, which focuses on eliminating the causes of crime, was launched this year. This approach involves communicating at all levels -community constables with residents, station inspectors with councillors and superintendents with local authority chief executives. Training for this approach is well under way. |
Once in place, it will help resolve long- term problems like anti- social behaviour, vandalism and drug and alcohol misuse. By reducing the fear of crime, it will also help to make our neighbourhoods feel safer. Despite falling crime rates, local problems are often difficult to solve. Divisional Commander Kenneth Thomson gave the measures his full support - ‘We need to get behind the symptoms to the cause, and solve problems once and for all. ’
Inspector Rudi Fruzynski is our new local authority liaison officer. His appointment is designed to oil the wheels of co- operation and promote a new level of partnership with East Lothian Council. A large part of his work will include developing joint community safety initiatives - he has already been helping with matters like drug misuse, victim support and community council business. By working together and concentrating on issues that most concern the public, we will work to find lasting solutions to local problems.
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A drugs crackdown in East Lothian this year produced some impressive results. Dealers were the main targets with detections up 21% on last year. We also caught 163 people in possession of drugs. Catching criminals is, however, only one part of our work. As partners in the recently- formed East Lothian Drug Action Team, we also recognise the importance of education. Our officers are working with primary and secondary schools throughout the county. By raising awareness of drug issues, we can help tackle the problem of drug misuse. |
Finding out what the public think of our service is important. Three times a year we send out postal questionnaires to people who have had recent contact with us.
A sample of results shows some of the areas we look at.
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Recorded crime in East Lothian fell this year by 2%, continuing the recent downward trend. A total of 4,144 crimes were reported in the county, over half of which involved dishonesty. The good news included:
By targeting criminals and analysing crime patterns, we will continue to make an impact. |
Under-age drinking is a major concern. Our efforts to tackle the problem were helped this year by new laws allowing us to confiscate alcohol from young people and those supplying them. Haddington and Prestonpans also benefited through local bye- laws banning drinking in some public places.
Alcohol- related problems can seriously affect the quality of life in our communities. By monitoring licensed premises, patrolling problem areas and working with other agencies, we will help to make improvements in the coming year.
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Station Inspector Peter Dawson is responsible for the mainly rural communities of Dunbar and North Berwick. He works closely with a range of agencies, community councils and individuals. Through consultation, he is able to translate community concerns into suitable police action. This means that he can deal with local issues such as under- age drinking more effectively. Managing high- profile police patrols to enforce new laws can help. Long- term solutions, however, are often found by working with other groups in the community. A good example of this is the ‘dry bar’ already operating in North Berwick with another proposed for Dunbar. Inspector Dawson welcomes the co- operation he receives: ‘A very important part of my role is being available to the community. We are very fortunate in this area with the valuable support we get from the public. I am keen to do whatever I can to develop this even more. Without the eyes and ears of the public our job would be so much harder. ’ |
Each year we tailor our priorities to reflect the needs and demands of local people.
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We set our priorities mainly by consulting local communities. However, we also take account of our own experience, the views of other agencies and the changes likely to take place during the year. This is a continuous process which allows us to deliver a service that is cost effective and addresses local concerns. We deliver a full range of policing services to the people of the East Lothian. But we sometimes need to concentrate our efforts in specific areas to tackle particular problems. By remaining flexible and working closely with local people, we continue to provide a high-quality and effective service tailored to local needs. |
By continuing to work with other agencies, we will develop new and existing partnerships to tackle local concerns. In particular, we will tackle drug misuse and associated problems by:
To make East Lothian safer, we aim to improve public confidence and quality of life by targeting street disorder and vandalism. In particular, we will focus on under-age drinking and related complaints. We will achieve this by:
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We aim to make the roads in East Lothian safer by:
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We aim to support the principles of 'problem-orientated policing' by:
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