Domestic Abuse Cases On The Rise During Lockdown

Reports of domestic abuse increased in Dumfries and Galloway during lockdown, according to new figures published by Police Scotland.

A total of 412 domestic abuse incidents were recorded between April 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020. This was an increase of 14 per cent, from 361, in the same period last year.
It coincides with a rise in domestic abuse incidents nationally as Police Scotland received a higher number of calls reporting concerns or looking for advice.

These included a significant number of calls in relation to child custody or contact arrangements which would not necessarily result in a crime report but are recorded on the Vulnerable Persons Database.

Chief Superintendent Linda Jones, divisional commander of Dumfries and Galloway, said: “Sadly, home is not a safe place for everyone. These calls allow us to identify and record police contact with adults, children and young people who are vulnerable.
“Abuse and neglect of adults and children is everyone’s business and communities can help tackle it.

“We worked with our partners throughout lockdown to ensure people were aware that information, help and support continued to be available when needed.”

It comes as the Police Scotland Q1 Performance Report, introduced by Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor, showed that public confidence in policing was up by 20 percentage points during the first quarter of 2020-21.

The accompanying Management Information showed that proactive policing from officers has led to more weapons being taken off the streets of Dumfries and Galloway.

A total of 48 crimes relating to offensive or bladed weapons were recorded in Q1 2020/21, up from 36 last year, and detections also increased year-on-year, from 35 to 41.
More cases of fraud were also recorded between April 1 and June 30, reflecting a national rise in these crimes, which are increasingly cyber-enabled. In Dumfries and Galloway, there were 94 cases of fraud in the first three months of 2020/21, compared with 78 the previous year.

Ch Supt Jones added: “As DCC Taylor has said today, this has been an extraordinary period and care must be taken to avoid assumptions around trends.
“However, our commitment to issues such as knife crime and fraud remains unwavering and we will continue to support victims and pursue those who set out to cause harm and misery.

“Police Scotland officers are out in our communities every day, supported by colleagues in national specialist resources, to keep people in Dumfries and Galloway safe in private, public and virtual spaces.”