Angus has seen a 55% increase in violent crime, according to a new police report.
That includes an alarming 750% increase in robberies, a 47% rise in serious assaults and a 22% increase in reported domestic abuse incidents.
Tayside’s most senior police officer acknowledged the spike in crime was unwelcome but assured the people of Angus that Police Scotland would not ‘rest on their laurels’ in tackling violent offenders.
Noting that robberies had leapt from just two to 17 in a year, Chief Superintendent Eddie Smith told Angus’ Police and Fire and Rescue Sub Committee that the offenders had been arrested and charged and the victims were being supported.
He said: “The fact that there has been an increase in serious violent crime is not lost on me or Chief Inspector Gordon Milne (Commander in Angus) and we have a particular focus on it.
“We have discussed our approach and we will be even more on the front foot in working with our partners in community safety and community planning.”
Mr Smith said detection rates for crimes of violence remained high for what was a relatively small number of offences.
While unhappy to see evidence of more victims of domestic abuse, he was reassured that increasing detection rates and the multi-agency support available had given victims the confidence to come forward.
He told the committee: “Incidents have been going unreported for many years and through our partnership support, victims have confidence to report that a particular offence has taken place. Many complaints come in as historic complaints.”
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