Chief Constable Message / Policing in Midlothian / Crimes & Offences / Force Spending / Policing Review / Policing in the Community / A Local Service / Priorities 97-98
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Midlothian Joint Police Board Members: Divisional Commander: Sub-Divisional Commander: Superintendent Charles Michie Divisional Headquarters
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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 Midlothian 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 Midlothian 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 Midlothian.
Chief Superintendent Kenneth Thomson
I firmly believe that policing any community successfully requires a partnership approach.
We cannot be seen as the cure for all ills and we must co-ordinate our work with others if we are to contribute positively to the quality of life in Midlothian.
Part of this partnership approach involves setting agreed policing aims that target areas which are of concern to us and the community. Following the consultation process last year, we focused on under-age drinking, drugs, road safety and auto-crime.
Under-age drinking and related complaints such as street disorder cause many problems. The combination of new laws to control young people drinking alcohol and effective policing has addressed these concerns. The new local bye-laws which restrict drinking alcohol in public places can only improve our efforts.
Drug abuse is a continuing community concern. We are tackling it by helping to develop a partnership approach to various strategies. Part of this approach involves providing local pupils with information on drugs. Another part of the process is enforcing the law, and the number of drug offenders reported has risen as a result of greater police activity.
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Last year we made a commitment to make our communities safer by targeting speeding drivers, drink-driving, seatbelt use vehicles with faulty lights. We also targeted people committing parking offences because of the part they can play in road accidents. Again we adopted a two-pronged approach to the problem. Firstly we supported an education programme and secondly, we followed a strict policy for dealing with those who chose to ignore parking restrictions. Auto-crime has been a major part of our workload and it is pleasing to note that over the year this kind of crime has dropped. Two major initiatives, concentrating on tourist-vehicle crime and car thefts proved very successful. Good results led to similar local initiatives which are also having a positive effect. We have already seen the value of CCTV in Dalkeith and I am confident that a similar project in Penicuik will produce similar benefits. CCTV helps us to solve crime and is also an effective deterrent. We recognise that the support of Midlothian Council and others in the community has been a major factor in achieving success in this area. Midlothian is a desirable area to live and work in. We have a duty to play our part in maintaining and improving the quality of life enjoyed by everyone in our boundaries. In partnership with the council and the many agencies, groups and individuals we work with, we will continue to provide an effective service to the people of Midlothian.
22 July 1998 |
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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 | 66 | 53 | 59 | 44 |
| Robbery (& assault with intent) | 17 | 9 | 26 | 15 |
| Rape | 8 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
| Indecent assault | 13 | 9 | 27 | 21 |
| Indecent exposure | 15 | 3 | 11 | 7 |
| Theft by housebreaking | 286 | 56 | 303 | 79 |
| Housebreaking with intent (& attempted) | 154 | 22 | 128 | 16 |
| Theft by opening lockfast places (& attempted) | 325 | 66 | 395 | 46 |
| Theft others | 1078 | 309 | 921 | 313 |
| Theft of motor vehicles (& attempted) | 241 | 70 | 240 | 79 |
| Theft of pedal cycles | 110 | 22 | 118 | 22 |
| Wilful & malicious fireraising | 33 | 9 | 53 | 16 |
| Malicious mischief or vandalism | 1169 | 288 | 1208 | 315 |
| Other crimes | 1038 | 971 | 928 | 867 |
Total |
4553 |
1895 |
4426 |
1847 |
| Solved |
42%
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42%
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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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Despite a slight rise of 13 vehicles stolen in Midlothian this year, there was a dramatic 34% drop in the number of cars broken into. ‘Operation Autofocus’ was a Force- wide proactive campaign which identified crime patterns and targeted regular offenders. We also sent letters offering crime- prevention advice to owners of vehicles parked with 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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One of our main aims is to deter and detect crimes which have the greatest personal impact on victims. Vulnerable people, such as the frail and elderly, are sometimes seen as ‘soft’ targets. This year, we turned the tables on ‘bogus workmen’ in a nationwide campaign. ‘Operation Hamelin’ was a multi- agency and intelligence- driven initiative which successfully co- ordinated activity against these unscrupulous criminals. Its success contributed to a 39% fall in these types of crime during the year. |
Reducing the number of road deaths and injuries is one of our main priorities. Unfortunately there was an increase from three to seven in the number of people killed in Midlothian this year. On a more positive note, serious injuries were down. Two well- known factors - speeding and drink- driving - are often the cause of accidents. We will continue to strictly enforce the law on these types of irresponsible behaviour as well as seat belt offences, faulty lighting and parking offences.
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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 | |
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| Fatal | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| Serious | 6 | 13 | 38 | 38 | 44 | 51 |
| Slight | 83 | 68 | 253 | 261 | 336 | 329 |
| Total | 89 | 81 | 298 | 302 | 387 | 383 |
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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‘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. ’
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Dalkeith and Penicuik are both reaping the benefits of town centre closed circuit television systems. With over 50 incidents recorded on camera this year and a 100% conviction rate in the courts, the cameras are undoubtedly helping deter anti- social behaviour on our streets. In Dalkeith alone, the system has detected 13 acts of vandalism, three driving offences and seven people urinating in public. We will continue to support the use of CCTV to make our communities safer. |
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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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Reported crime in Midlothian was up 3% this year, but there was some good news. Helped by various initiatives, including Operations ‘Parasol’ and ‘Festive Focus’ - housebreakings, robberies and vandalism were all down. ‘Golfwatch’ also successfully reduced the number of golf and tourist- related crimes by over 30%. By targeting criminals and analysing crime patterns, we aim to build on the success of these types of operation to make a greater impact on crime next year. |
Our efforts to tackle the problem were helped this year by new laws which allow us to confiscate alcohol from young people and those who supply them. We also keep a close eye on licensed premises. Following specific problems in Loanhead and Penicuik, two licensees were reported to the Midlothian Licensing Board. The effect of new local bye- laws banning drinking in some public places will be of great benefit in the year to come.
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Inspector Duncan Crane is the Station
Inspector at Newbattle Police Station. His area includes Mayfield, Newtongrange,
Gorebridge and the surrounding rural communities.
As well as helping to provide the traditional style of policing, there is also a very important problem- solving aspect to his work. He consults local community officers regularly and liaises closely with a wide range of agencies, local representatives, schools and individuals. This helps highlight the concerns of local people which otherwise might not be obvious. By developing links with others, we can tackle problems which we cannot solve alone. The recently- launched ‘problem- orientated policing’ approach aims to develop many of these links. It is encouraging to see how enthusiastically this approach has been received. Inspector Crane welcomes the idea: ‘Having grown up in the area, I am keen to improve the quality of life of local residents. However, the police can’t do this alone. We need the help of the public if we are to make a real difference. ’ |
Each year we tailor our priorities to reflect the needs and demands of local people.
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Each year we tailor our priorities to reflect the needs and demands of local people. 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 Midlothian. 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:
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To make Midlothian 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 Midlothian safer by:
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We aim to support the principles of 'problem-orientated policing' by:
