The first meeting of the new Northern Joint Police Board members heard today that Northern Constabulary achieved the highest ever detection rate by the Force last year and remains one of the highest performing Forces in the UK.
The detection rate stood at 67% (class 1 to 5) by the end of an extremely busy year from April 2011-12 and 4% up on the previous year.
Figures show a continued slight downward trend in crime, with a slight reduction in reported class 1 to 5 crimes from 13,584 in 2010/2011 down to 13,556 in 2011/12.
Crime reduction is always a key aim and the results of our three year average show a reduction of 1239 class 1-4 crimes, and as expected our proactive approach increased class 5 detections by 177.
There were 567 road traffic collisions over the year which involved injuries. There were 5 less fatal collisions, serious injury road collisions reduced by 22, and slight injury road collisions reduced by 84, due in part to high visibility road policing and proactive road safety activity.
The detection rates for serious crime including murder, attempted murder and serious assault are a significant achievement at 94.4%. Detection rates have risen by 7% to 80.8% for crimes of indecency.
It is worth noting that the latest HMICS Report praises Northern Constabulary as an example of good practice in crime recording.
Northern Constabulary achieved a 98.34% compliance in National Audit Test Results for information recording based on the Crime Audit in 2011 against a Scottish average of 95%.
The report also made recommendations designed to ensure that police staff working towards a single Scottish police force maintain a standard approach to crime recording throughout the transition period, highlighting that approaches to information recording by Dumfries and Galloway Police and Northern Constabulary should be considered as examples of good practice in terms of the quality of information recorded.
Deputy Chief Constable Andy Cowie told the Board: "A detection rate of 67% across class 1-5 crimes is excellent by any standards and remains one of the highest detection rates in the UK. This is higher even than last year's high detection rate of 64%.
We are never complacent, however and this performance record demonstrates that Northern Constabulary continues to drive up standards as we strive to give the best possible policing service to the Highlands and Islands."
He added: "We are now moving towards a single force in less than a year and the men and women currently serving Northern Constabulary are committed to continuing to provide a high quality policing service as part of that single force. In the midst of reform and facing a busy and challenging time for the Force, it is a credit to the hard work and dedication of police officers and police staff that they have delivered such excellent results."