Residents have admitted they are concerned for their safety after crimes in Dundee’s multis hit a four-year high in 2018.
A joint investigation between the Evening Telegraph and Wave FM has revealed that nearly 400 crimes were recorded in flats in Lochee, Hilltown, Dryburgh and Dudhope last year.
That was higher than any of the three previous years and a 34% rise from 2017.
Locals say they fear the situation could get even worse when night-time concierges in the multis are replaced with centralised “rapid response” teams, relying solely on CCTV, from Monday.
Martin Tosh, 56, unemployed from Dallfield Court in Hilltown, said: “They shouldn’t take security away from the bottom of the multis.
“There used to be two in each building. Anyone can walk in now, my mother is getting people pushing the buttons and making noise, bothering her in the early hours of the morning.”
Another person from Dallfield Court, who did not wish to be named, highlighted concerns for the safety of children in the area.
He said: “These multis are bad. I wouldn’t want my bairns walking in here and finding people doing drugs on the stairs, it’s not a nice thing to see.”
Adamson Court in Lochee is the worst multi in the city for crime, with 180 incidents recorded there over the last four years. Adjacent Elders Court isn’t far behind with 166 incidents.
Both Bonnethill Court and Hilltown Court in the Hilltown had more than 140 crimes recorded each over that period.
Burnside Court, which is also in Lochee, and Lansdowne Court in Dryburgh, had 115 and 118 crimes respectively.
The safest multi in the city is Pitalpin Court in Dryburgh, where just 55 crimes were reported.
On average, between half and three-quarters of crimes in the city’s multis are solved by police.
Dozens of different types of crime have been recorded, with assaults, thefts, drug offences and vandalism commonly reported.
Lochee councillor Charlie Malone has voiced concerns about the new rapid response system.
He said: “I’m not convinced that the facilities are in place to make sure that the rapid response teams are available for residents when they need them.”
Meanwhile Gary Pirie, the vice-chairman of Phoenix Residents Association, which represents several of the city’s multis, said his previous concerns, about concierges being taken away, have been eased.
Mr Pirie said: “I have seen the rapid response centre and it’s a lot better than I thought it would be. The systems seem better because the cameras have a 360-degree view and there’s cameras in the lifts and bottom windows as well – it’s all recorded.”
Despite a rise in crimes in 2018, Police Scotland says there are no particular trends around incidents in the multis.
A spokeswoman said: “Some rises in recorded crime are a direct result of police proactivity in relation to drugs misuse. However, it is our considered opinion that there is no evidence of particular trends and we would caution against reading anything significant into small numbers that fluctuate up and down without a pattern.
“We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of residents wherever they live within the city and we will continue to work to reduce crime.”
