Police Scotland have released their performance report for the region during the first quarter of 2022-23 and it shows that recorded crimes of indecent sexual assault were down across the area by 17 fewer reports against the same period last year.
Six fewer attempted murders were also recorded and incidents of domestic abuse were down from 17 to nine.
Total crimes involving the use of offensive weapons were down by four and there were 67 fewer incidents of breach of the peace including stalking.
However, the report shows an increase in recorded crimes of fraud with 21 more incidents, while crimes of fire-raising were also up by 17.
Commenting, divisional commander Chief Superintendent Carol McGuire said: “This latest report sits against the backdrop of the pandemic which has significantly shaped policing demand during the previous two years.
“The effect of the pandemic will continue to be felt for some time and we face new challenges, including the cost of living crisis, which will undoubtedly be reflected in recorded crimes during the 2022/23 reporting period.
“In the meantime, I want to reassure our communities that Dumfries and Galloway is still a safe place to live, work and visit. Officers are proactive in detecting and preventing crime and reactive in their response to those in need.
“They are keeping people safe on their smartphones and computers as online policing becomes a bigger part of frontline policing every day.”
And she called for more public feedback and engagement, pointing to the Your Police Survey, which allows people to help shape the policing response. It can be found online at https://consult.scotland.police.uk/strategy-insight-and-innovation/your-police-2022-2023/.
