By Bill Heaney
Jackie Baillie has reacted to the ‘shocking’ latest crime figures which show that violent and sexual crimes have risen in both West Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute.
In West Dunbartonshire, non-sexual crimes of violence have risen by 31 percent while in Argyll and Bute, which includes Cardross, Helensburgh, the Rosneath Peninsula and Loch Lomondside, they increased by 21 percent in the last year alone.
Sexual crimes have also increased by 25 percent in Argyll and Bute and 21 percent in West Dunbartonshire respectively since 2018.
Fraud has also increased excessively by 149 percent in West Dunbartonshire over the same period.
Dumbarton constituency MSP, Jackie Baillie, pictured left, said: “It is shocking to see the number of violent and sexual crimes soaring once again with local figures in Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire at higher levels than the Scottish average.
“It beggars belief that the SNP government would try and pretend these figures are anything other than a national scandal. Their claim that people feel safer in their communities is in sharp contrast to the figures in my constituency.
“They have already cut police numbers, making the job harder, and their plans to cut justice budgets even further risk making this grim picture even worse.
“The SNP need to invest in the police and get a grip on spiralling rates of serious crimes so our communities can truly feel safer.”
Research shows that:
Recorded Crime in Scotland year ending September 2022 https://www.gov.scot/news/recorded-crime-in-scotland-year-ending-september-2022/
- Non-sexual crimes of violence were 8% higher compared to the year ending September 2021 (increasing from 64,147 to 69,353 crimes), and 5% higher compared to the year ending September 2018 (increasing from 66,352 to 69,353 crimes).
- Sexual crimes were 6% higher compared to the year ending September 2021 (increasing from 14,052 to 14,838 crimes), and 10% higher compared to the year ending September 2018 (increasing from 13,506 to 14,838 crimes).