High crime activity for start of year

Community police officer Conal McEwan told Selkirk Community Council that there was “a lot to report” during the first month of 2017 and that there “certainly has been a lot going on”.

The majority of incidents that took place involved rowdy behaviour such as shouting and swearing, fighting and drunken behaviour. Seven of the 20 incidents recorded involved youths and two involved a person armed with a knife.

The February meeting heard that during that month several incidents also occurred in the town centre when three youths broke into houses at Russell Place and Scott Crescent. The trio also attempted to enter houses near Deer Park and Raeburn Lane.

PC McEwan said that jewellery had been stolen from one of the properties and that the culprits dumped a car they had stolen from Edinburgh before making off with another that they took from Scott Crescent.

He told the meeting: “I’d just ask everybody again to just be vigilant. Make sure your property is locked, make sure car keys aren’t left in sight of people, even within the front doors just lock them because they can reach in and grab them. If you’ve got a performance vehicle at all then you’re at more risk of that being pinched.”

During that month there were also 12 incidents of shoplifting and theft crimes and another 12 incidents of hate crime. A total of 1,119 anti-social behaviour incidents were recorded across the Scottish Borders during that time.

He added: “Make sure everything’s locked and double locked. Even when you come in at the end of the day just lock the door behind you.”

Anyone with information regarding crimes is urged to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.