Fife housing higher average number of sex offenders than other areas in Scotland

Fife currently houses a higher average number of sex offenders than other areas in Scotland.

The number of registered sex offenders living in the Kingdom has soared by 45% compared to five years ago.

Members of Fife Council’s People and Communities Scrutiny Committee heard that efforts were ongoing to deal with the “continuing increase”.

Dougie Dunlop, the Independent Chair of Fife’s three Public Protection Committees, told councillors: “It is evident across Scotland not just in Fife although Fife has a slightly higher ratio of registered sex offenders than the Scotland average.

“We have 12.1 registered sex offenders per 10,000 compared to the Scottish average of 10.3.

“There are currently 725 registered sex offenders in Fife and that is compared to a figure of 500 offenders five years ago.

“You can see the continued increase in activity in this area. Part of that is in relation to the nature of the legislation itself. Some offenders are registered for extended periods of time, 15 years or more, so that has an accumulative effect.”

Mr Dunlop said the rising numbers puts a stress on the services involved with a knock-on demand for housing.

“It is a particular pressure trying to respond to accommodate offenders as they come out of prison,” he continued.

“I have to say that the housing response is extremely positive in this area – very flexible and innovative to help to make sure that we appropriately house offenders and that they are in as safe arrangements as possible.”

Despite such efforts, Mr Dunlop acknowledged recent incidents where there had been “community unrest and outings” after an offender had been rehoused.

“It has become a feature over the past little while of public demonstrations against sex offenders.

“So far we have been able to respond to each of these incidents positively and make suitable arrangements but it does mean that we displace the risk to other areas where perhaps, at times, the planning has not had sufficient time to fully embed risks associated with that.”

Cowdenbeath councillor Alex Campbell believed more could be done to ensure housing was suitable.

He recalled one incident in his ward where a sex offender had been housed in a flat close to a family with two young girls.

“It caused a huge protest in the community,” he told the committee. “So for me, that was totally wrong. There was not enough scrutiny in place.

“Who would have put a sex offender beside two young kids, two young female kids?

“Fortunately it was rectified pretty quickly and the offender was moved away but, for me, that was a real wrong call, a real wrong judgement and it caused a real uproar in the community.”

Mr Dunlop pledged to look into the circumstances of the incident with Cllr Campbell.

He added: “When someone comes out of prison, there are detailed arrangements for planning. Part of that detailed planning entails involves an environmental risk assessment which looks at an area the offender might be coming back to including proximity to that area.”