DETECTIVES in a dedicated crime unit have solved almost 75% of robberies in Glasgow City Centre in the past six months.

The culprits behind almost three-quarters of robberies in the Glasgow central police beat have been caught.

Police say the staggering figure is unheard of for a city the size of Glasgow and senior officers have put the success rate down to the dedicated unit.

From street robberies and mobile phone thefts, to raids on shops, the Community Investigations Unit has a wide remit.

Since Police Scotland was set up in April, the unit has seen a dramatic reduction in robberies and a major increase in catching those responsible.

City Centre Area Commander Alan Porte warned criminals there is nowhere to hide - and they will be caught.

He said: "Anyone who thinks they can get away with a robbery in Glasgow City Centre is wrong - we will catch you.

"As the figures show, robberies in the city centre are very rare.

"However, if a robbery is reported to us, we will investigate it thoroughly and extensively, doing everything possible to trace the individual responsible."

Robberies in Glasgow city centre have fallen by more than 30% as police continue their crackdown on violent crime.

Figures obtained by the Evening Times show the number of one of the most worrying offences has dramatically fallen in the past year.

There were just 33 robberies reported between April 1 and October 1 in the city centre, against 48 in the same period last year.

And those responsible for 24 of the 33 robberies have been detected and reported to the procurator fiscal.

With around 100,000 people descending on the city centre alone at weekends, it can be seen as a target for criminals looking for an opportunity.

HOWEVER, high visibility police patrols in the city centre are sending a message to potential criminals, while also providing reassurance for the public.

Chief Inspector Porte. said: "The majority of robberies we deal with in the city centre are thefts of mobile phones.

"I would urge people, especially those enjoying a night out in the city, to take extra care of their personal belongings.

"People need to be aware about where they are, and who is around them. If you put yourself in a vulnerable position, there will be people around to take advantage of the situation."

The new "dedicated" approach to dealing with robberies has also uncovered another type of crime.

Chief Inspector Porte revealed a small number of people have been reporting mobile phone thefts which, when investigated further, turn out to be false.

The individuals have, in fact, lost their phones but have reported them as stolen in a bid to claim insurance.

He said: "We have had a small number of people who have been claiming their phones have been stolen.

"Our officers have trawled through CCTV and on a few occasions have found no robbery took place."

Police warned time spent on "false robberies" takes officers away from investigating genuine cases

Earlier this year, we revealed how serious assaults in Glasgow city centre have fallen by more than 40%.There were just 16 serious assaults in the police beat in the three months from April to the end of June this year, against 27 in the same period last year.

And only two of those serious assaults involved a weapon.

Officers recorded 49 "group one" crimes - such as serious assault and robbery - in the three months, against 59 last year.

Fewer people are now bringing blades into the city centre, with knife carrying down 21% - to 18 incidents from 23 the previous year.

Possession of an "offensive weapon" has also fallen by more than 28%.

CHIEF Inspector Porte believes the 12,000 stop-and-searches on suspected criminals in the centre of the city in the three-month period, are key in keeping serious crime down.

He said: "Stop-and-searches are having a positive impact on crime levels.

"They are having a really positive impact on stopping weapons coming into the city centre.

"They send an important message to any potential criminals: if you bring a weapon into the city centre, you will be arrested."

More than 2155 of the searches carried out by officers from April to the end of June had a "positive result" with arrests being made, or weapons, alcohol and drugs confiscated.

rebecca.gray@eveningtimes.co.uk