EVERY community in Dumfries and Galloway will have a dedicated police officer under a redesign of the force, the region’s police commander announced.
Chief Superintendent Steven Meikle also announced that another 30 new probationary constables have been welcomed into Dumfries and Galloway since the summer.
Thirteen of them will be on the beat within the next few months.
Chief Superintendent Meikle recently attended Dumfries and Galloway Council’s police, fire and rescue sub-committee to provide councillors with an update report on the police performance between April 1 and September 30 this year.
His report detailed how there were 9506 crimes/offences in that six month period, which was an increase of 323 compared to the five-year average.
After breaking down these stats for councillors, the police chief then explained that there will be a shift in police operations that’s being led nationally.
He said: “In September this year the chief constable outlined plans to evolve policing in Scotland to deliver a second phase of reform, so that we can meet existing and emerging challenges within the funding available.
“We will review and redesign local policing to strengthen the community policing model – and provide every local community with an identifiable officer, which I’m sure will be welcome.
“Since the last PFRC (police, fire and rescue committee) in June, I am pleased to say we have appointed 30 new probationary constables in the division.
“Of that, 13 are currently going through their basic training and will be joining our communities between December and April.”
The new recruits are a welcome boost following cuts in previous years, which had reportedly seen the Dumfries and Galloway police force reduced in capacity by around 14 per cent.
The police performance report for April-September 2024 showed that there were 795 common assaults across the region, which was an increase of four percent on the five-year average.
Domestic abuse incidents climbed to 867, which represent a rise of 17 percent on the five-year average.
Overall violent crime saw 1049 incidents recorded (up 12 percent), there were 261 sexual crime incidents (increase of 10 percent).
Meanwhile, housebreaking incidents were down to 107, which is a drop of five per cent. The number of public disorder incidents was 2,251, which represents a reduction of 18 percent on the five-year average.
Above: Gretna community cop Lee Barnfather
