NEARLY 150 assault offences were recorded by police in Bute and Cowal in the space of four months, it has been reported.
The figures listed between April 1 and July 28 include 82 common assaults with no injury, 45 common assaults to injury and five serious assaults. Sixteen offences of assault on police officers or staff were also recorded.
In November 2025, one of the area’s police chiefs outlined changes to the way police recorded incidents, meaning there could be multiple complaints recorded in the same incident.
The numbers are listed in a report to go before Argyll and Bute Cowal’s Bute and Cowal community planning group at its meeting on Tuesday, August 11.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “All operational officers are briefed daily prior to deployment to furnish them with the intelligence and information required to be able to identify those involved in violence and ASB (antisocial behaviour).
“It is difficult to prevent sporadic acts of violence, particularly indoors in private dwellings. We continue to engage with housing partners to identify problematic neighbour complaints to assess and target ASB which, if left to fester, may escalate to violence.
“We have robust policing plans in place to monitor those individuals released with specific bail conditions. The preventions team are in daily contact with the ASB and housing teams to ensure we maximise our response through a partnership approach.
“Between April 1 and July 28, we have recorded 132 total assault offences against members of the public, comprising 82 common assaults with no injury, 45 common assaults to injury [and] five serious assaults.
“Additionally, 16 offences of assault on police officers/staff were recorded during this period (15 to no injury and one to injury).
“Our officers will make full use of their stop search powers when it is justified and proportionate to do so. We have raised 56 crime reports for drugs possession (class A, B, and C) during this same period.”
Chief Inspector James McArthur told the same community planning group in November 2025 of the changes which had resulted in an increase in the reported number of assaults.
He said at the time: “Previously, what we would have is a roll-up, which is a police term for when we have multiple offences attributed to one offender, or when you have five or six incidents in the one crime.
“So for example, if you had five cars broken into, you would have one report with five complainers.
“When recording standards changed for Scotland, it became the case that every victim of crime is a stand-alone crime report.
“That makes sense in some respects, but it skews the figures when you have numerous complainers for one incident.
“Because of the way we are recording things now, we are getting an increase in the figures. The assaults are not random attacks on members of the public, and it is quite important that we get that across.”
