Stop and search powers are being used responsibly in Glenrothes, the town’s leading police officer has said.
Chief Inspector Nicola Shepherd said that targeting such action against certain members of the public is producing results and making the streets of the town safer for everyone.
She was addressing members of Glenrothes area committee at Fife House where latest figures showed more than a doubling of stop and search actions by officers in the area.
“The number of stop and searches has doubled,” she told members.
“We are focusing on the right people, in the right places and at right times. Tackling violence is one of our main priorities and one of the main things that we can do to prevent that is stop and search.
“Not only is it a deterrent but it prevents people from committing further crimes. But stop and search will always be proportionate.”
Figures presented to councillors at yesterday’s meeting showed that police in Glenrothes conducted 1,390 stop and searches in the 10 months up to the end of February 2014, compared to 899 for the same period in 2012-13 an increase of 54%.
Of these, 405 were found to be “positive”, compared to the previous figure of 58 a massive increase of 590%.
Glenrothes has historically had a higher rate of stop and search operations than in other parts of Fife however the police maintain they are an effective means of preventing crime and removing illegal alcohol, drugs and weapons from the streets.
Meanwhile, Ms Shepherd said local officers were “totally committed” in their efforts to locate missing man Allan Bryant.
The 24-year-old has not been seen since leaving the Styx nightclub in the town during the early hours of Sunday November 3.
Despite a high-profile campaign by his family and the largest police search for a missing person in the history of Fife, no trace of Mr Bryant has been found.
Ms Shepherd added: “Thousands of hours have been spent in the search for Allan, including divers and air support. We are totally committed to searching for Allan.”