CRIMES of dishonesty report to police in Inverclyde increased by nearly 20 per cent, fuelled by a big jump in shoplifting. There were 1,122 acquisitive crimes recorded in the eight months between 1 April and 30 November, up by a fifth on the same period in 2024. Recorded fraud crime has increased by 10 per cent, with a total of 110 crimes recorded. Acquisitive crimes involving motor vehicles have fallen by nearly 12 per cent on the previous year, with a total of 61 crimes recorded, although the number of vehicles stolen rose by 50 per cent. The report states: “Although theft of exterior vehicle parts, and vehicle contents has reduced, thefts of motor vehicles have increased, with a total of 33 recorded (11 more than the same period in 2024).