Police publish crime priorities

Police hope the document will allow them to set priorities

Scotland's police forces have unveiled the six issues they believe cause the biggest damage to communities.

The Scottish Strategic Priorities document identifies terrorism, drugs, violence and anti-social behaviour as four of the biggest threats.

The list is completed by organised crime and public protection offences such as domestic abuse, child abuse and sex crimes.

Police said the document would help them prioritise which crimes to target.

The document was published by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos).

The police need the help of people in our communities to identify those individuals involved in crime, including serious organised crime Kenny MacAskill Justice Secretary

Acpos said it hoped the publication would help to increase public awareness of the challenges facing policing in Scotland, and provide an opportunity to engage with and involve the public more in influencing priorities and tackling issues.

Acpos president, Chief Constable Patrick Shearer, of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary, said: "I believe that this document is a rich source of intelligence and information and has assisted in creating a prioritised strategic picture of the crime and disorder issues which the police service face, and firmer proposals around effective prevention, intelligence and enforcement responses to tackle them.

"My clear expectation of the document is that the agreed priorities will have the strongest influence on resource decisions taken collectively and unilaterally by forces."

Justice Secretary Kenny Macaskill, added: "The police need the help of people in our communities to identify those individuals involved in crime, including serious organised crime, peddling drugs and anti-social behaviour, and to take action against them.

"By publishing this document, Acpos are making the public more aware of these problems and their determination to tackle them."