 |  |
| Publications |
| Home | Press | Publications | What We Do | Who We Are | Search | Site Map | Contacts | Links | ||||
| | |||
| Publications > Crime, Law, Justice & Rights | ||||
< Previous | Contents | Next >
6.1 The total number of crimes cleared up by the police fell by 1,100 (1 per cent) from 189,000 in 1999 to 188,000 in 2000. However, this represented an increase in the overall clear-up rate from 43 per cent to 44 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 2000, the clear-up rates increased for three of the five main crime groups. The clear-up rate for crimes of dishonesty increased from 35 to 37 per cent; the clear-up rate for non-sexual crimes of violence increased from 72 to 73 per cent and the rate for "other" crimes increased from 99 to 100 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 2000, the clear up rate for housebreaking increased from 23 per cent to 24 per cent; that for theft by opening a lockfast place (OLP) (excluding motor vehicles) rose from 29 per cent to 30 per cent; the rate for theft from a motor vehicle by OLP rose from 17 per cent to 18 per cent, however the clear up rate for theft of a motor vehicle fell from 32 per cent to 30 per cent.
6.3 Most crimes in the group "other crimes", which includes crimes against public justice and drugs crimes, were cleared up (100 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".
< Previous | Contents | Next >
The information contained on this WWW site is Crown Copyright but may be reproduced without formal permission or charge for personal or in-house use. Privacy and Content Disclaimer.
For general enquiries about this web site email ceu@scotland.gov.uk or fill out our online questionnaire.
