By Bill Heaney
Recorded incidents of domestic abuse have increased across Argyll and West Dunbartonshire, which is one of the worst area in the country for this to happen.
According to Police Scotland’s latest performance report, there were seven more incidents against the same period last year, an increase of 100%.
Across the country, 445 crimes were recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act during the first Quarter of 2022/23 compared to 415 last year.
Sexual offending and domestic abuse are key priorities for Police Scotland which made clear its commitment to changing attitudes on violence against women and girls.
The performance report also shows a significant reduction in crimes involving offensive weapons across Argyll and West Dunbartonshire, with 41 fewer incidents.
Speeding offences are also down by 50 and there were three fewer incidents of serious assault.
Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Lynn Ratcliff said: “This latest reporting period will help shape the local priorities for Argyll and West Dunbartonshire as we look to address what matters most to our communities.
“There is no doubt domestic abuse will remain a key focus for us as we look to build on our successful Don’t Be That Guy campaign as a major strand in the development of our Violence Against Women and Girls strategy.
“The pandemic has significantly shaped policing demand and its effect will continue to be felt for some time. Equally, we face new challenges, like the cost of living crisis which will no doubt be reflected in recorded crimes throughout the 2022/23 reporting period.
“It is against this challenging environment that I appeal to our communities to engage with us to help influence the shape of local policing in your area. Tell us what matters most to you through the Your Police Survey.
“It takes less than 10 minutes to complete and allows you to highlight areas of local concern, good practice and ultimately inform our approach to working with local partners to deliver the right response for you.”