According to Police figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives 90 Children under the age of 10 have committed crimes in the past three years in Dumfries and Galloway. These crimes include minor assaults on emergency workers and there was one incident of theft by a 4 year old was reported in the area last year.
In total, vandalism amounted to around 75% of the total number of offences committed. Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell expressed disappointment at the involvement of young children in these kinds of offences but recognised that in comparison to other police authorities both the overall number of offences was lower and the nature of the offences less serious.
Overall figures, obtained through Freedom of Information by the Scottish Conservatives, reveals a rising trend, with 1,245 incidents reported last year. This is contrasted with the figures for Dumfries and Galloway which shows that the police force has the lowest number of crimes committed across Scotland with 24 crimes recorded during the past year, accounting for just 2.4% of the national figure. These figures once again confirm the good work Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary proactively are doing to prevent crime in the region.
Commenting David Mundell MP said: “It is always disappointing to hear of young people getting involved in crime, and it is therefore particularly harrowing to find out that children under the age of ten have been involved with the police.
“However, once again we have to be grateful that our young people are growing up in the lowest crime area in Scotland. I am determined to do all I can to make sure Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary retain the resources they need to do their job as we move to a single police force.”