Edinburgh's 'most dangerous' areas unveiled as data shows capital's crime hotspots

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Edinburgh's 'most dangerous' areas have been revealed in new research by a security firm that carried out a crime survey of Scotland.

Security firm Church Support Services looked at police data to highlight the capital's crime hotspots.

And despite being a bustling centre for tourists, with attractions and historical architecture, the city centre tops the grim chart, with a slew of crime taking place within the last year, Edinburgh Live reports.

Crimes of dishonesty ranks as the capital's top crime with 3,461 incidents recorded - making up more than 37 per cent of all crime in the city centre. Violent assault is next with 1,496 incidents, motor vehicle offences totals 596 incidents, whilst criminal damage amounts to 570 incidents.

Leith comes in at second, with the gentrified area seeing a soaring crime rate of 106.9 crimes per 1000 residents.

Crimes of dishonesty (894 incidents) are the most prevalent problem for the region, with shoplifting seeing 263 incidents alone. Outside of that, Leith sees concerning figures across motor vehicle offences (345 incidents), criminal damage (213 incidents), and drug offences (142 incidents).

Sighthill and Gorgie takes third spot. The vast residential area covers the home of Hearts of Midlothian. The borough of Sighthill and Gorgie combines the hustle and bustle of weekend crowds with substantial housing opportunities in Pinkston and Sighthill. While the area has seen a steady influx of people, it has been marked as having one of the highest rates of crime with 102.2 crimes per 1000 residents.

As part of that rate, we find worrying statistics across two distinct types of crime – crimes of dishonesty (1047 offences) and violent assault (418 offences), which represent 33 per cent and 13 per cent of the region’s criminality respectively. There are similarly high numbers of criminal damage incidents (430 offences), underlining the need for effective security across the Scottish capital.

Meanwhile Almond and Portobello and Craigmillar are sitting at fourth and fifth place. Almond consists of several built-up residential areas in Kirkliston, Cramond, Barnton, and Scotstoun, as well as Edinburgh’s major international airport. Accoding to the report, the crime rate hovers at the city-wide average, at 87.3 crimes per 1000 residents.

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The major issue for the ward, and one that’s been a constant thorn in the side of policing and security efforts, is the soaring rate of drug crime (628 incidents), making up over a quarter of all the crime in the ward. The region also sees a substantial rate of both crimes of dishonesty (737 incidents) and motor vehicle offences (609 incidents).

Portobello and Craigmillar has seen crimes of dishonesty marked as the most 'revalent issue' for those working and living in the area with 905 offences. Shoplifting makes up a significant proportion of that with 312 offences recorded. The experts have also seen worrying rises across motor vehicle crimes (524 offences) and criminal damage (434 offences).

The team at Churchill Support Services praise Craigentinny and Duddingston for its lush surroundings and green spaces, nothing the modern neighbourhoods which looks out over the Firth of Forth. However while locals enjoy the views of the sea, there are still high rates across crimes of dishonesty (781 incidents), motor vehicle offences (290 incidents) and criminal damage (276 incidents) all sparking concern for safety and security across the region.

Meanwhile the popular areas in Fountainbridge and Craiglockhart have a 'stable crime rate of 68.3 crimes per 1000 residents,' according to the experts.

According to the report, Crimes of dishonesty (578 offences) and motor vehicle crimes (248 offences) are the two most prevalent issues in the area, but there’s equal concern for the rising numbers across violent assault (212 offences), which has seen a year-on-year increase.

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