CRIMES of dishonesty report to police in Inverclyde increased by nearly 20 per cent, fuelled by a big jump in shoplifting.
There were 1,122 acquisitive crimes recorded in the eight months between 1 April and 30 November, up by a fifth on the same period in 2024.
A report by police chiefs states: “Retail crime has been identified as a key issue, with the majority of crimes of dishonesty (67 per cent of the total) occurring in commercial premises (supermarkets etc) and crimes in such locations rising by 24 per cent.
“We continue to work in partnership with local businesses to tackle this issue, supported by colleagues in the dedicated Retail Crime Taskforce.”
The report continues: “Fraud continues to be identified as a key threat in Inverclyde due to ever-evolving and sophisticated methods used by criminals. Recorded fraud crime has increased by 10 per cent, with a total of 110 crimes recorded.
“Local Policing analysts continue to monitor emerging fraud trends in Inverclyde, and through the Partnerships and Preventions Team, share intelligence relating to emerging issues with a range of partner agencies to assist with prevention and safeguarding efforts.”
Housebreaking crimes have fallen to a five-year low, with 61 crimes recorded, down 13 per cent on the previous year.
Acquisitive crimes involving motor vehicles have fallen by nearly 12 per cent on the previous year, with a total of 61 crimes recorded, although the number of vehicles stolen rose by 50 per cent.
The report states: “Although theft of exterior vehicle parts, and vehicle contents has reduced, thefts of motor vehicles have increased, with a total of 33 recorded (11 more than the same period in 2024).
“Police in Inverclyde continue to gather intelligence on organised vehicle theft, particularly the use of keyless entry methods, while working to raise public awareness of effective preventions measures.”
The current detection rate for acquisitive crimes in Inverclyde is about 53 per cent, which compares positively with the national rate of 36 per cent.
