Today I have written to the Scottish Government to call on them to tackle Fife’s rising crime rates after the release of the latest official Recorded Crime Statistics has shown a 6% increase in reported crime in Fife. 

These statistics highlight the unacceptable increase in crime in Fife, despite the level in Scotland reaching a 40 year low. We must now look beyond these figures and ask why this rise in Fife has taken place.

The increase in reported crime follows on from concerns I raised last year regarding the restructuring of police services in Fife after it was announced that the number of chief inspectors throughout Fife was being more than halved, down from seven to three.

With the advent of Police Scotland concerns were raised over the future of local policing and the ability for the new force to respond to local concerns. Questions must now be asked of the new Justice Secretary if the current structure and planning has negatively impacted on local policing, particularly in Fife.

That is why I will be writing to Mr Matheson to call on him to address these concerns and ensure the resources are available for Police Scotland to effectively deliver a local police strategy that will bring down crime levels in Fife.

The statistics also show an increase in the number of crimes relating to the misuse of drugs and alcohol in Scotland and that sexual offences have increased for the fifth consecutive year – rising 12% in the last twelve months.

Concerns have previously been raised that falling police numbers and that the loss of over 2000 police support staff across Scotland has resulted in fewer officers on the street and more spending their time in back offices.

We must ensure that the streets of Fife are safe. That is why the new Justice Secretary must work to reduce the rise in crime related to the misuse of drugs and alcohol, and the rise in sexual offences across the country.

Currently we have a falling number of police officers and support staff. This is taking officers away from the streets and front desk duties and into the back offices. This must be addressed.