Concerns over rise in violent crime
Police hot spot map points to Lochside area
A Labour councillor has raised concerns about violent crime in the north of Ayr.
Ayr North councillor Ian Cavana said he was worried about the number of assaults in the area,
Mr Cavana was speaking at North Ayr Community Council in Lochside Community Centre earlier this month.
He was responding to a monthly police report to the community council.
Councillor Cavana said: “I am wee bit worried about car crime and house break- ins going up.
“I am concerned that assaults are going up.
“Do we have an area that the assaults are taking place?
“Eighteen is starting to worry me.”
A police representative at the community council meeting stated that 18 assaults were detected this May compared to 15 last May.
He added that breach of the peace had increased from 12 in May 2017 to 22 last month.
Responding to Mr Cavana’s question about where the assaults were taking place, a police spokesman said; “Police have a hot spot map of incidents and the Lochside area is one of them.
“At the start of September there will be designated community police for areas and there will be more cops on the beat.”
And Mr Cavana pointed out that there had been youth disorder and antisocial behaviour at the recent fairground in the area and said that one woman had been assaulted. He added: “It is frightening.” Police said there had been four housebreak- ins in May compared to five in May 2017 and car crime had increased from one to three.
The number of drug offences had shot up from 11 to 16.
But there was no detections of drink or disqualified driving offences compared to one last year.
Chief Inspector Gary I’Anson said: ‘ We continue to work in the Ayr North area with our partners from the South Ayrshire Council Community Safety Partnership, local councillors and residents to reduce incidents of violence and disorder.
“We have dedicated officers working within North Ayr including a dedication Preventions First Officer, PC Amee Speirs, who works closely within the community to tackle the issues that matter to them most.
“Recently, she held a multiagency community fun day within Newton Primary School show casing all the partners and the services they can offer to residents.
“This was a highly successful day with residents providing positive feedback to the services they engaged with.”