Housebreaking in the EH15 postcode area is the third worst in Scotland according to the latest Moneysupermarket survey and many residents John has spoken to still feel not enough is being done to deter criminals.
A report to the Council a year ago showed that housebreaking in East Edinburgh had increased by a staggering 23 per cent and Police Scotland admit the city still suffers disproportionately, with 22 per cent of all Scottish housebreaking taking place in Edinburgh despite having only nine per cent of the population, some 3,800 recorded incidents.
Northfield & Willowbrae Community Council has just been told there is an average of 136 break-ins a year in that half of the ward, with 14 in November alone and 11 of them houses. The situation has improved since the controversial decision to disband Edinburgh’s dedicated house- breaking team when Police Scotland first took over in 2012, and there is a new team of dedicated beat officers, but the figures show how much more there is to do.
But behind each statistic is a story of loss, disruption and sometimes heartache.
John said:
“Recently I spoke to one lady in her 80s who has suffered a break-in twice in the past two years, the second time only in January. The first happened only weeks after the death of her husband and the criminals took many treasured memories of her long married life."
“She doesn’t want to turn her house into a fortress, so every pressure must be brought to bear on Police Scotland to reassure the public that East Edinburgh neighbourhoods are being properly patrolled and that those responsible for break-ins are quickly taken off the streets.
“I know from conversations with senior officers that Police Scotland believe cyber-crime is a top concern and while the impact and growth of online fraud cannot be underestimated, neither can community security be compromised when resources are being allocated.”
The Edinburgh local policing plan is due for renewal this year and the Conservatives will be arguing that housebreaking should remain an absolute priority.