Local Councillor Welcomes Peterhead Arrests

Peterhead North & Rattray SNP councillor Anne Allan has welcomed the statement from Police Scotland that a total of five people have been arrested in two separate operations in the last 48 hours in connection with the recent spate of break-ins in the town.

A 34-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman were expected to appear at Peterhead Sheriff Court today [Monday] in relation to being in possession of stolen goods.

In a separate incident, late on Sunday, a break-in to a local retail premises was reported to Police by a member of the public. An immediate Police response led to the arrest of three men in relation to theft by housebreaking and possession of stolen property. The men, aged 45, 22 and 19 years are expected to appear at Peterhead Sheriff Court in due course.

Commenting, Cllr Anne Allan, who is a member of the Buchan Community Safety Group, said:

“I welcome this action by the police and it is an excellent example of intelligence-led policing resulting in arrests and the recovery of stolen property.

“I would encourage members of the public to report any suspicious activity they see to the police, no matter how trivial it may seem. Small pieces of information when put together by the police can lead to an arrest or recovery of property, so it’s always worth phoning 101 with information.”

Buchan Community Policing Inspector Andy Imray said,

"It has been reported recently in the media and on social networking sites, that there has been an increase in crimes of dishonesty, particularly break-ins, in the Peterhead area. We have experienced such an increase and this type of crime is being rigorously investigated."

"The cases above demonstrate that whilst this is an ongoing situation, we are taking every opportunity presented to us, to bring those responsible to justice, stop or curtail their criminal activity and ultimately make the area safer.

"We have issued sensible, practical advice to householders and vehicle owners in relation to crime prevention and their responsibilities to safeguard their own property. I now wish to highlight other means by which to help us tackle this type of crime.

"It has become apparent that, on a number of occasions, people have been seen entering properties in the town, in possession of property and in circumstances which are clearly suspicious. Yet these incidents have not been reported to the Police. Without such information, we miss opportunities to recover stolen property and deal with those involved.

"I therefore encourage members of the public to report such activity and anything else they consider suspicious, to Police Scotland. If we subsequently find that things are above board, those involved are likely to be encouraged that at least someone showed concern. This should build confidence within the community that folk are looking out for one another."