This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Figures show fall in recorded crime
05/09/2006
Official figures published today show a 5 per cent fall in recorded crimes in 2005-06 - more than 20,000 fewer than the previous year.
Today's figures also show:
- 1,000 fewer victims of serious violent crime, with violent crime overall down 7 per cent to its lowest level since devolution
- 6,000 fewer households broken into since 2002-03, with housebreaking now around half the level it was in 1997
- a fall of nearly 40,000 in the number of recorded offences, like minor assault, drunkenness and speeding
- levels of recorded crime for 2005-6 lower than in 2002-3 and 1998-9
Justicce Minister Cathy Jamieson pledged continued Executive commitment to policing, tackling antisocial behaviour and reform of the justice system as the foundation for sustained reductions in crime for the long-term.
The Minister praised Scotland's 16,000 police officers - some 1,500 stronger than seven years ago - for maintaining crime clear up rates at historically high levels and disrupting drug dealing networks.
But she expressed concern at the increase in the number of rapes recorded by the police - even though some are historic investigations going back many years.
Ms Jamieson said:
"People want to see crime falling, offenders punished, and more individuals taking responsibility for their own actions. Fewer crimes mean fewer victims and recorded crime last year fell to the second lowest figure in a generation - within one percent of the modern low in 2003-04.
"This is despite the new victim-centred reporting standard, which means that the police record reports of more minor crimes that in previous years simply were not logged without corroborating evidence.
"We now have a clearer picture of crime levels in Scotland and by most measures they are falling. That is good news for decent, law-abiding Scots who want to feel safe on the streets and in their homes.
"Our unprecedented action to tackle the menace of booze and blades on our streets is beginning to pay off. These figures show that - whatever fears people still have - Scotland is becoming a less violent place.
"As well as tackling the most serious crimes, communities across Scotland quite rightly expect that lower-level disorder and antisocial behaviour should be dealt with and not swept under the carpet. Many more offences are now being recorded and looked into. These figures prove to me that local communities' concerns are being taken seriously.
"The new powers we have delivered for local agencies are now being used to bring relief to hard-pressed communities and root out antisocial behaviour- like the first use of a dispersal order Glasgow which began last week. More respite for communities - but also a chance for communities to win back a culture of respect.
"Today's crime figures show the picture up to the end of March this year and despite this success, we are not complacent. Much remains to be done, to build on the achievements, to continue pursuing those who prey on our communities, to cut crime across more areas, and further protect the lives and property of the people of a safer Scotland."
On a rise in the number of rapes recorded, the Minister added:
"Rape is a fearful and despicable crime and I take no comfort from the continued rise in the number of such cases being recorded - at a time when overall crimes of indecency are falling. Rapes inspire understandable fear and concern in women - but we must also remember that even these high figures last year represent a quarter of one per cent of the total number of crimes.
"Clearly part of this rise will be down to proactive efforts by the police to encourage victims to come forward and report such crimes - even though they may have been committed decades before. The new reporting standards for crime are also helping here, with corroboration no longer needed by victims for their experiences to be recorded and investigated as crimes."
Commenting on a 6 per cent rise in the number of drugs crimes, Ms Jamieson said:
"We have also been taking concerted action to tackle the drugs menace in our communities. More recorded drugs crimes means more arrests.
"The SCDEA and police forces are intercepting more of the international gangs preying on Scotland, and are successfully seeking out and destroying more illegal drugs factories. Last year alone they seized drugs with a total street value of £22.4 million.
"We have supported those efforts with money taken from the pockets of dealers themselves - and with the increasing support of the general public. Last year's 'Drug Dealers Don't Care - Do You' campaign - funded entirely by the assets seized from criminals - saw around 500 dealers arrested as a result of information provided by concerned members of the public."
Background
EXECUTIVE ACTION SINCE 2003 TO TACKLE CRIME includes:
- a ground-breaking Antisocial Behaviour Act to help people stand up to unacceptable behaviour
- unprecedented freezing and seizing of criminals' ill-gotten assets - over £30 million of realisable assets being pursued
- over 500 community-based wardens in place to complement our record police numbers
- new legislation to protect children and young people from sexual predators
- leading the UK and Europe with the introduction of Drug Courts
- rolling out Drug Treatment and Testing Orders to courts to cut the crimes caused by addicts
- reforming the High Courts for serious cases, encouraging earlier guilty pleas and sparing tens of thousands of witnesses from appearing
FURTHER ACTION SINCE MARCH 2006 TO TACKLE CRIME includes:
- in April we set up Community Justice Authorities across Scotland, with the task to transform the way councils, the Scottish Prison Service and other local organisations work together to tackle re-offending
- in May we launched the first Scotland-wide knife amnesty which saw 12,645 knives and other weapons surrendered across the country
- in June we gave the courts powers to impose new Orders for Lifelong Restriction (OLRs) on the most serious violent and sex offenders
- before the summer recess we announced plans to end the discredited system of unconditional automatic early release of short term prisoners, delivering honesty in sentencing and ensuring that all offenders will be under restrictions for their entire sentence
- in August we announced plans for a ban on the general sale of swords and a strict new retail licensing regime for non-domestic knives
- and last week saw the introduction of new powers to further support the police in tackling knife crime, monitoring sex offenders and combating football-related disorder
In April 2004, the police implemented the Scottish Crime Recording Standard (SCRS). This means that no corroborative evidence is required initially to record an incident as a crime if it is perceived by the victim to be a crime. As a result of this more victim oriented approach, the new standard was expected to increase the numbers of minor crimes recorded by the police, such as minor crimes of vandalism and petty thefts, and the 2004-05 figures published in October last year were the first to be affected by this. However, it was expected that the SCRS would not have much impact on figures for more serious crimes such as serious assault, sexual assault, robbery or housebreaking.