Issue - meetings

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to thank Police Scotland for their informative report; and

(ii)            to note the report. 

The Committee had before it a report by Police Scotland, which provided the Committee with an update on progress of the Estates plans across Aberdeen City. 

The report stated that the aim was to deliver a more effective and sustainable estate that enabled modern policing, supported the health, safety and wellbeing of people and the communities they served and reduced long term operating costs.  The report also advised that a prioritised ten-year programme of building improvements, refurbishments and disposals would be developed and the pace of implementation would be determined by the availability of funding.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee discuss, comment on, and endorse the report.

Members asked a number of questions in relation to the report and these were answered by Superintendent Jason Carrigan, Chief Inspector Vicky Stables and Chief Inspector George Nixon.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to thank Police Scotland for their informative report; and

(ii)            to note the report. 

The Committee resolved:

(i)            to note the report;

(ii)           to agree that Police Scotland police by consensus and it is pleasing to see that the vast majority of citizens in the recent feedback underpins that consensus;

(iii)         to note the 3-year average increase in crimes against society regarding knife crime, noting the increase in possession of offensive weapons in Schools used in criminal activities;

(iv)         to instruct the Chief Officer – Education and Lifelong Learning to bring a report to Education and Children’s Services Committee as soon as possible outlining an analysis of both Council and Police Scotland data with regard to use of offensive weapons in schools and what actions our schools are taking to reduce incidents involving weapons;

(v)          to note that the Divisional Commander would ensure that all Community Council’s had a point of contact within Police Scotland;

(vi)         to note that Police Scotland would investigate the possibility of providing more raw data statistics in future performance reports rather than a percentage which would make the information more digestible;

(vii)        to note that Police Scotland would ascertain whether there was the potential for there to be an increase in the amount of road policing officers and to report back in due course; and

(viii)      to request that Police Scotland produce a short thematic report on the police station hubs in Aberdeen, which would provide details on the new model for police stations in the city. 

The Committee had before it a report by Police Scotland, which presented the Police Scotland performance report which covered April 2024 to March 2025, for scrutiny. 

The report advised that it provided a detailed account of Police Performance in Aberdeen City in support of agreed priorities, both local and national for April 2024 to March 2025 and much of the content of the report reflected on the collaborative methods in which Police Scotland operated across the city. The report demonstrates how communities benefitted when Community Planning Partners worked within both the Local Outcome Improvement Plan and Locality Plans.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee discuss, comment on, and endorse the report.

The Committee heard from Divisional Commander Kate Stephen and Chief Inspector Darren Bruce  who provided an overview of the report and answered various questions from Members.

The Committee resolved:

(i)            to note the report;

(ii)           to agree that Police Scotland police by consensus and it is pleasing to see that the vast majority of citizens in the recent feedback underpins that consensus;

(iii)         to note the 3-year average increase in crimes against society regarding knife crime, noting the increase in possession of offensive weapons in schools used in criminal activities;

(iv)         to instruct the Chief Officer – Education and Lifelong Learning to bring a report to Education and Children’s Services Committee as soon as possible outlining an analysis of both Council and Police Scotland data with regard to use of offensive weapons in schools and what actions our schools are taking to reduce incidents involving weapons;

(v)          to note that the Divisional Commander would ensure that all Community Councils had a point of contact within Police Scotland;

(vi)         to note that Police Scotland would investigate the possibility of providing more raw data statistics in future performance reports rather than a percentage which would make the information more digestible;

(vii)        to note that Police Scotland would ascertain whether there was the potential for there to be an increase in the amount of road policing officers and to report back in due course; and

(viii)      to request that Police Scotland produce a short thematic report on the police station hubs in Aberdeen, which would provide details on the new model for police stations in the city. 

The Committee resolved:-

to note the information contained in the report.

The Committee had before it a report by Police Scotland, which provided the Committee with an overview of Wilful Fire-Raising in Aberdeen City and the collaborative approaches with stakeholders in response. 

The report noted that wilful fire-raising offences across North East Division had followed a consistent downward trend over the last five years (2020 to 2025), aligned with broader force-wide reductions.

The report also indicated that division wide data analysis highlighted both seasonal and geographic spikes in offending, particularly during March, June and November, with statistical peaks occurring in late evenings and on Saturdays. The trend appeared linked to seasonal behaviours and social activity patterns, which offered opportunities for targeted preventative work.

The Committee heard from Divisional Commander Kate Stephen who provided an overview of the report and answered various questions from Members.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee discuss, comment on, and endorse the report.

The Committee resolved:-

to note the information contained in the report.