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Statistical Bulletin CrJ/2002/1 Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2001
6. Crimes and offences cleared up by the police ( Table 3 of Appendix)
6.1 The total number of crimes cleared up by the police rose slightly in 2001 from 187,800 to 188,900 (see Table A). This represented an increase in the overall clear-up rate from 44 per cent to 45 per cent ( Table 3). Clear-up rates vary markedly depending on the type of crime and reflect, in part, the differing circumstances in which crimes come to the attention of the police. Property-related crimes tend to have comparatively low clear-up rates and this in turn affects the total achieved. Crimes of violence have higher clear-up rates and, for a number of crimes in which identification of the offence and the offender tends to occur simultaneously (for example drugs possession), clear-up rates will tend towards 100 per cent. In other types of crime, the police have the task of finding the offender after the crime is discovered and reported to them.
6.2 In 2001, the clear-up rates increased for two of the five main crime groups. The clear-up rate for non-sexual crimes of violence increased from 73 to 74 per cent and the clear up rate for crimes of indecency increased from 77 per cent to 80 per cent. The clear-up rate for crimes of dishonesty remained at 37 per cent while the clear-up rate for crimes of vandalism decreased slightly, from 24 per cent to 22 per cent. The overall clear-up rate for crimes partly reflect the clear-up rate for the largest group, crimes of dishonesty, and in particular, the most frequently occurring types of crime, housebreaking and theft. In 2001, the clear-up rate for housebreaking remained constant at 24 per cent; that for theft by opening a lockfast place (OLP) (excluding motor vehicles) rose from 30 per cent to 37 per cent; the rate for theft from a motor vehicle by OLP remained at 18 per cent and the clear-up rate for theft of a motor vehicle rose from 30 per cent to 32 per cent.
Chart 4 Clear-up rates for particular crime categories, 1991-2001
6.3 Most crimes in the group "other crimes", which includes crimes against public justice and drugs crimes, were cleared up (99 per cent). Similarly, the vast majority of offences (89 per cent) in the "miscellaneous offences" group were cleared up. This reflects the characteristics of such crimes and offences and the circumstances in which they come to the attention of the police - in many cases (such as drunkenness), the offender is "caught in the act".
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