Police in Glasgow have seized an increased number of weapons during lockdown, the force has confirmed.
Between the start of April and the end of June, 136 offensive weapons were recovered in the the Greater Glasgow area, in comparison to 99 in the same period last year.
Meanwhile, figures confirm there has been an increase in drug offences and in drink or drug driving in comparison to 2019.
A Greater Glasgow Police force statement issued this morning said: "Chief Superintendent Hazel Hendren, Police Scotland’s Divisional Commander for Greater Glasgow, has acknowledged the dedication and hard work of officers, staff and the support of partners during lockdown.
"Proactive action saw an increase in the number of offensive weapons being seized and drugs offences rise during lockdown. Drink or drug driving and speeding also increased compared to the same period in 2019.
"Management Information figures show that between the start of April and the end of June 2020 officers seized 136 offensive weapons – an increase of 37 from the previous year’s figure of 99 (37.37%).
"The number of people detected for being under the influence of drink or drugs while driving went up – from 185 to 260 (40.5%) and the number of speeding offences increased by 20% to 678 from 565.
"The number of offences for being in possession of drugs increased from 1655 to 2037 or 23%."
Chief Superintendent Hendren commented: "Despite the country being in lockdown, officers and staff right across the Division adjusted and responded in the most dynamic way. They continued to deliver the best possible service to help keep our communities safe in what is a challenging and changing environment. We are not able to do this alone and I am grateful for the support of the public and our partners.”
The figures are contained in Police Scotland’s Management Information figures which inform the Q1 Performance Report, introduced by Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor, which also show that public confidence in policing was up by 20 percentage points during the first quarter of 2020/2021.
Chief Superintendent Hendren added: “During the pandemic Police Scotland officers continued their valued and pro-active work within Greater Glasgow. This has been an extraordinary period, and as DCC Taylor has said today, it is too early to draw any conclusions about long-term crime trends.
“I want to express my thanks to those who adhered to the Scottish Government’s advice to stay at home. However, there were still those who were on our streets intent on breaking the law and they were dealt with appropriately.
“Police Scotland remains committed to taking weapons off our streets and targeting those who deal in drugs. Despite figures showing fewer cars on the roads, it is extremely disappointing that there are still drivers who continued to drive in a dangerous manner and under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”
Meanwhile, as criminals, particularly in the digital and cyber spaces, took advantage of the pandemic to exploit victims, the number of fraud offences also rose from 579 to 687 or 18.6%.
Chief Superintendent Hendren urged the public to remain vigilant and said: “We saw targeted attempts by fraudsters to adapt well-known techniques to include references to COVID. We will continue to work with all our partners and pursue those who set out to cause harm to our communities and to make Scotland a hostile environment for those involved.”
