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3.1 The number of crimes recorded by the Scottish police decreased in 2000, reversing the increase recorded in 1998 and 1999 (Table 1). In 2000, 423,000 crimes were recorded, a decrease of 3 per cent when compared with the 1999 total (down by 12,500 crimes). The level of crime in 2000 was only slightly higher than the ten year low figure of 421,000 in 1997 and was 26 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 6 per cent. Non-sexual crimes of violence decreased slightly between 1999 and 2000, to 23,300. The recorded number of crimes of indecency decreased by 4 per cent between 1999 and 2000. The number of crimes cleared up decreased by 1 per cent, from 189,000 in 1999 to 188,000 in 2000 which resulted in an increase in the clear-up rate from 43 per cent in 1999 to 44 per cent in 2000.
3.2 The number of offences recorded by the police in 2000 decreased by 1 per cent from 504,000 in 1999 to 500,000, continuing the decrease noted between 1998 and 1999. The number of recorded offences in 2000 is 18 per cent higher than the number of crimes recorded in 2000, compared with 16 per cent in 1999. This decrease in the number of offences reflects, in part, the impact of the campaigns and initiatives e.g. against speeding, undertaken by the police during 2000. 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.
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Crimes and offences recorded and cleared up by the police, Scotland, 1996 - 2000 | Table A | |||||
| Number and Percentage | ||||||
|
1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
2000 | |
|
Police strength at 31 December |
14,672 | 15,050 | 14,854 |
14,684 | 14,948 |
| Number of crimes recorded | 451,956 | 420,642 |
431,551 | 435,703 | 423,172 |
| Crimes recorded per 1,000 population1 | 88 | 82 | 84 |
85 | 83 |
| Crimes recorded per police officer | 31 | 28 | 29 |
30 | 28 |
| Number of crimes cleared up | 165,577 | 164,242 |
178,107 | 188,912 | 187,767 |
| Crimes cleared up as % of those recorded | 37 | 39 | 41 |
43 | 44 |
| Crimes cleared up per police officer | 11 | 11 | 12 |
13 | 13 |
| Number of offences recorded | 451,988 | 486,883 |
515,796 | 504,450 | 499,592 |
| Offences recorded per 1,000 population1 | 88 | 95 | 101 |
99 | 98 |
| Offences recorded per police officer |
31 | 32 | 35 | 34 |
33 |
|
Number of offences cleared up |
432,593 | 467,411 | 497,042 |
483,590 | 479,165 |
| Offences cleared up per police officer | 29 | 31 | 33 |
33 | 32 |
1. The mid-year population estimate for 1999 was used since, at the time of publication, the 2000 estimate was not available.
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