| Crime
in context: The facts |
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| 1. The
amount of crime recorded by the police, after rising
considerably in earlier years, has been falling since
1991. The level of recorded crime in Scotland in 1997 was
27% lower than the 1991 figure and was the lowest such
level since 1981. |
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| Recorded crime in Scotland, 1970 - 1997 |
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| This fall
has, however, been almost entirely due to a reduction in
the number of crimes of dishonesty and, more
specifically, in the number of crimes of housebreaking
and theft related to motor vehicles. The housebreaking
figure in 1997 (55,000) was less than half the number
recorded in 1991 (116,000). But some of the most serious
crimes have not fallen: crimes of violence remained at
around the same level over this period; crimes of
indecency (covering sexual assault, lewd and indecent
behaviour and prostitution-related offences) increased by
22%; and drugs-related crime has risen continuously. In
the first half of 1998 there were indications that the
fall in crimes of dishonesty had ended and that, as a
result, the overall level of crime had begun to rise
again but, until final figures for 1998 as a whole are
available, it is not possible to draw firm conclusions
about this. |
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| Changes in the pattern of crime |
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| 2. The
composition of crime within the total volume of crime
recorded has therefore changed. Crimes of dishonesty
accounted for 75% of all crimes in 1988 but only 63% in
1997. The category described as 'Other crimes' has
increased from 4% to 11%, largely as a result of the
increase in the number of drugs-related crimes (up from
5,200 in 1988 to 29,400 in 1997). |
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| Crimes recorded by the police, by crime
group, 1988 |
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| Crimes recorded by the police, by crime
group, 1997 |
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| Crime clear-up rates |
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| 3. The
proportion of crimes cleared up by the police has been
rising - from 29% in 1991 to 39% in 1997. This partly
reflects the change in the composition of recorded crime
due to the large fall in the number of crimes of
dishonesty, which generally have lower clear up rates
than other crimes. Increases in the clear up rates for
individual crimes have been less marked. |
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| Recorded Offences |
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| 4. Recorded
offences have not fallen ('offences' are minor and
distinguished from 'crimes' for statistical purposes;
they include petty assaults, breach of the peace,
drunkenness and motor vehicle offences). Petty assaults,
(22% higher), and breach of the peace, (33% higher), have
risen continuously. Motoring offences, almost all of
which are recorded as a result of police detection rather
than reporting by the public, have stabilised. |
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| Offences recorded by the police, 1970 - 1997 |
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| Scottish Crime Survey |
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| 5. The true
extent of the level of crime in Scotland is unknown. Not
all crimes involving victims are reported to the police
and many other kinds of offending can only be partly
detected. It is important to establish the fuller picture
and to ask people their views on a range of issues
related to crime as a means of developing policy. The
Scottish Crime Survey (SCS) provides a method of
estimating the level of crime against households and
individuals by means of interviewing a sample of
householders about their experience of crime. It collects
a wide range of information about victims, policing,
drugs and other key issues. Even the SCS only covers part
of offending. It does not cover personal crime - for
example drug possession or supply - or crimes against
businesses. |
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| 6. The SCS
showed an increase of 5% in survey crimes between 1981
and 1992, followed by a decrease of 7% between 1992 and
1995. Despite this decline, very nearly a million
incidents involving offences against individuals or their
property were estimated to have occurred in 1995. The SCS
showed a rise in the proportion of crimes reported to the
police from 38% in 1981 to 53% in 1992, followed by a
decrease to 50% in 1995. |
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| 7. Both
police statistics and the SCS show that violent crime,
which may have the most severe impact on victims, is
relatively uncommon, accounting for 17% of SCS estimates
of all crimes. A fifth of all violent incidents recorded
by the SCS took place in or around licensed premises.
Overall, risks are highest for younger rather than older
people, men rather than women, and for those who spend
more evenings away from home. |
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| Improved Information |
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8. The
Scottish Office is continuing to improve the available
information on the criminal justice system in Scotland in
a number of ways; from enhanced information flows within
the system to increased publication of statistical
information and research results. At the present time
there are a number of statistical bulletins published
each year on a variety of criminal justice topics:-
- recorded crime;
- criminal proceedings
in Scottish courts;
- motor vehicle
offences;
- prisons statistics;
- crimes and offences
involving firearms;
- liquor licensing;
- homicides; and
- firearm certificates.
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| These
bulletins provide concise statistical summaries using
data obtained mainly from the police forces and prisons.
There is also a new twice-yearly Criminal Justice
Information Bulletin, designed to inform all those who
work within the system about how the system as a whole is
performing. Information on gender, race, costs and
sentencing profiles is also published regularly. The
bulletins are available in hard-copy format and can also
be accessed electronically via The Scottish Office web
site. |
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