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Statistical Bulletin CrJ/2002/1 Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2001
3. Summary of crimes and offences recorded by the police ( Tables 1 and 2 of Appendix)
3.1 The number of crimes recorded by the Scottish police decreased for the second consecutive year in 2001 ( Table 1). In 2001, 421,100 crimes were recorded, (down by just over 2,000 crimes or just under one half of a per cent. The level of crime in 2000 was only slightly higher than the ten year low figure of 420,600 in 1997 and was 27 per cent lower than the peak 1991 figure. Around three-fifths of crimes recorded by the police are crimes of dishonesty (consisting mainly of housebreaking and theft) and the numbers of crimes recorded in this group decreased by 8 per cent. Non-sexual crimes of violence increased by 2 per cent between 2000 and 2001, to 23,800. The recorded number of crimes of indecency increased by 4 per cent between 2000 and 2001. The numbers of crimes of vandalism increased by 14 per cent: this is largely due to improved recording of minor vandalisms by Strathclyde police. The numbers of "other" crimes recorded increased by 13 per cent reflecting, at least in part, police pro-active targeting of drugs crimes. The number of crimes cleared up increased from 187,800 in 2000 to 188,900 in 2001. This resulted in an increase in the clear-up rate from 44 per cent in 2000 to 45 per cent in 2001.
3.2 The number of offences recorded by the police in 2001 increased by 5 per cent from 499,600 in 2000 to 524,600 in 2001. The number of recorded offences in 2001 is 25 per cent higher than the number of crimes recorded in 2001, compared with 18 per cent in 2000. This increase in the number of offences reflects, in part, the impact of the campaigns and initiatives e.g. against speeding, undertaken by the police during 2001. The high clear-up rate for offences reflects the recording characteristics of such contraventions of the law. Most offences are cleared up immediately because the offender is "caught in the act", e.g. motoring offences and thus recorded and cleared up figures for offences are equal in most instances and equivalent to a clear-up rate of 100 per cent.
Chart 2 Percentage change in recorded crimes and offences by crime group, 2000-2001
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