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4. Commentary: Recorded crime in Scotland
4.1 The total number of crimes recorded by the police in 2007/08 was 385,509, which was 8 per cent lower than in 2006/07 (see chart 1 and table 1). The total remains well below the 2004/05 figure of 438,121, and is the lowest number recorded since 1980.
Chart 2 Crimes recorded by the police by crime group, 1976 - 1994 then 1995/96 - 2007/08
4.2 The number of non-sexual crimes of violence recorded by the police decreased by 9 per cent between 2006/07 and 2007/08, to total 12,874. This is the lowest figure recorded in this category since the change to a financial year basis in 1995/96 and is indeed the lowest recorded since 1986 (see chart 2 and table 1). Within this category, the number of serious assaults etc (which includes crimes of murder and attempted murder) recorded decreased by 9 per cent to 6,853 and recorded robberies decreased by 14 per cent to total 3,064. Other non-sexual crimes of violence decreased by 2 per cent from 3,017 to 2,957.
4.3 The number of crimes in the indecency group decreased from 6,726 in 2006/07 to 6,552 in 2007/08, which was a 3 per cent decrease (see chart 2 and table 1). Within this group, recorded cases of rape and attempted rape decreased by 6 per cent, totalling 1,053. Cases of indecent assault increased marginally (around 0.1 per cent) to 1,666 in 2007/08, with the number of crimes of lewd and indecent behaviour also increasing marginally (around 0.5 per cent) to 2,567 in 2007/08. The number of crimes recorded in the "other" sub-group decreased by 9 per cent to total 1,266 in 2007/08.
4.4 The number of crimes of dishonesty decreased for the ninth consecutive year, by 9 per cent, to stand at 166,718 cases in 2007/08 (see chart 2 and table 1). A number of categories within this crime bracket decreased substantially in 2007/08, namely theft of a motor vehicle (19 per cent), housebreaking (17 per cent), theft by opening a lockfast place (14 per cent) and fraud (10 per cent).
4.5 Recorded cases of vandalism (including fire-raising and malicious mischief) decreased by 9 per cent to total 118,025 in 2007/08 (see chart 2 and table 1). Within this category both the number of crimes recorded within the fire-raising and vandalism sub-groups fell in 2007/08.
4.6 Within the other crimes group, there was a 2 per cent decrease in crimes against public justice (see chart 2 and table 1). The number of crimes of handling an offensive weapon decreased by 11 per cent to 8,989 in 2007/08 and recorded drugs crimes decreased by 4 per cent from 42,422 in 2006/07 to 40,746 in 2007/08.
4.7 The number of crimes cleared up by the police decreased by 7 per cent from 198,985 in 2006/07 to 184,631 in 2007/08 (see table A1). There was an overall increase in the clear up rates of crimes (see table 3), from 47 per cent in 2006/07 to 48 per cent in 2007/08.
4.8 The clear-up rate in 2007/08 for non-sexual crimes of violence is higher than in 2006/07, increasing from 60 per cent to 62 per cent (see table 3). The rate for crimes of indecency has decreased by 3 percentage points to 71 per cent, with the rate for other crimes also decreasing, from 99 per cent to 98 per cent. At the level at which we publish, all other crime groups are unchanged from the previous year.
4.9 The number of crimes of domestic housebreaking recorded by the police per 10,000 population decreased from 40 in 2006/07 to 34 in 2007/08 (see chart 5 and table 8).
Chart 3 Clear up rates for crimes recorded by the police by crime group, 1976 - 1994 then 1995/96 - 2007/08
4.10 The number of offences recorded by the police decreased by 6 per cent from 607,406 in 2006/07 to 571,881 in 2007/08. There were decreases in a number of categories of offences (see chart 1 and table 2), particularly speeding (16 per cent). There were increases in three categories, namely drunkenness (1 per cent), unlawful use of a vehicle (1 per cent) and vehicle defect offences (5 per cent).
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