Police data shows fall in violent and sexual crimes as fraud cases rise

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Crimes of fraud and housebreakings have risen but violent and sexual crimes are falling - according to the latest police figures.The data from Police Scotland’s Q2 Management of Information report - which covers the period between April and September 2022 - sees a drop in the main five crime groups across Forth Valley from 5,908 to 5,554.It includes a drop in violent offences which were down from 329 to 280 with the number of serious assaults falling by 118 to 84, meanwhile there were also four fewer robberies and assaults with intent to rob.The number of sexual crimes reported within the region has dropped from 445 to 330 - with the number of reported rapes down by three and attempted rapes and indecent sexual assaults falling from 140 to 112.The detection rate for these crimes also rose by 20 percentage points in the second quarter.However, the picture does contain some more worrying statistics with housebreakings - including attempted break-ins - up from 150 to 182 and both common theft and shoplifting also on the rise.Fraud levels in Forth Valley are also matching a national trend - incidents of this nature have climbed from 404 to 436 in Q2.Click here for more news and sport from the Stirling area.Chief Superintendent Alan Gibson, Divisional Commander for Forth Valley said: “The second quarter of 2022 was a significantly demanding period for policing and within Forth Valley we have continued to rise to the challenges and have seen from very positive reductions in a range of crime types.“Nevertheless, we will not become complacent and recognise that in order to build on these successes and inspire further confidence in policing, we must continue to work alongside our communities to identify and address the issues