Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2013-14

Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2013-14 Statistical bulletin


3. Scottish Crime and Justice Survey

The preceding sections of this bulletin contain information on the volume and types of crime recorded and cleared up by the police in Scotland in 2013-14. As highlighted earlier in this report, in addition to the information on police recorded crime, crime in Scotland is also measured by the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS), a national household survey with adults (aged 16 and over) which asks respondents about their experiences of crime.

This chapter brings together the two complementary sources, police recorded crime and the SCJS, to present a fuller, more comprehensive picture of crime in Scotland[9]. However bringing the two sources together in this way highlights that the SCJS and police recorded crime cover different populations, different timescales, and the SCJS does not cover the entire range of crimes and offences that the police are faced with. These and other differences mean that making direct comparisons between the two sources is not straightforward. Nevertheless, the SCJS and police recorded crime statistics do present complementary information on crime occurring in Scotland, so it is therefore helpful and informative to look at these sources together. This chapter will look at police recorded crime and SCJS findings in three ways:

i. Firstly, it will look at national trends of overall crime captured by police recorded crime and by the SCJS.

ii. Secondly, it will look at crime in the two broad categories of crime captured by the SCJS (namely, property crime and violent crime). This section will also highlight how the SCJS captures more contextual information on the risk and characteristics of crime.

iii. Lastly, it will look at the comparable crime groups, a grouping of crimes specifically constructed to allow comparison of the estimates of all comparable crime and comparable sub-groups from the SCJS and police recorded crime statistics for a set of crimes that are covered by both sources.

3.1 Overall number of crimes - Police Recorded Crime and the SCJS, 1992 to 2013-14

Chart 20: Overall number of crimes - Police Recorded Crime and the SCJS, 1992 to 2013-14

Chart 20: Overall number of crimes - Police Recorded Crime and the SCJS, 1992 to 2013-14

1. After 1994, the recording period for police recorded crime changed from calendar year to financial year.

2. The shift to the current survey design in 2008-09 has led to greater certainty around estimates.

3. Latest SCJS figures are available for 2012-13 while the latest recorded crime statistics cover 2013‑14.

The 2012-13 SCJS estimates that there were 815,000 incidents of crime against adults in Scotland in 2012-13. This is 22% lower than in the 2008-09 survey when there were an estimated 1,045,000 crimes, meaning that in 2012-13, around one in six (16.9%) adults were the victim of at least one crime.

While Chart 20 presents overall estimated crime levels for surveys conducted since the 1990's, prior to the current SCJS methodology (employed in surveys since 2008‑09[10]), crime survey estimates in Scotland were derived from smaller sample surveys and, in general, were subject to a higher level of uncertainty[11]. No clear trend could be detected for changes to the overall number of crimes measured by the various Scottish crime surveys conducted prior to 2008-09. This is reflected in Chart 20 in the higher levels of fluctuation in the overall crime series prior to 2008-09. We have assessed that the greater levels of certainty around survey estimates since 2008-09

enable more consistency in comparisons between the SCJS and recorded crime series and as such the analysis that follows in this chapter focuses on the period from 2008-09 onwards.

In comparison to the SCJS, as noted previously in this report, in 2013-14, the police recorded 270,397 crimes; this represents a decrease of 1% since 2012-13, and a decrease of 28% since 2008-09. Chart 20 show that since the shift to the current survey design and increased sample sizes in 2008-09, survey estimates of the overall level of crime have fallen in line with similar reductions in overall recorded crime over the same period.

Chart 20 effectively highlights the scale of the difference between the number of crimes estimated by the SCJS, and the level recorded by the police. There are a range of reasons for this difference, however the main factor is that the SCJS captures crimes that do not come to the attention of the police, and therefore are not included in recorded crime figures. The 2012-13 SCJS estimated that, of the 815,000 incidents of crime, 39% came to the attention of the police. Therefore, while the SCJS is good for estimating the likely range of crime in the underlying population (and the level of uncertainty around such estimates), the police recorded crime data effectively highlights the level of crime with which the police are faced.

In summary then, the SCJS can help to identify the relative magnitude of crime not reported to the police and why crimes are not reported. In 2012-13, where crime was not reported to the police, the most common reasons SCJS respondents gave for not reporting crime were that the victim felt that the police could have done nothing (37%) or that the victim perceived the incident to be too trivial to involve the police (36%). Conversely, where crime was reported to the police, it was mostly because the victim felt that it was the right thing to do (49%) or in the hope that offenders would be caught and punished (27%).

3.2 Police Recorded Crime and the SCJS Crime Groups

As noted elsewhere in this report, recorded crime figures are grouped into five crime groups (Non-sexual crimes of violence, Sexual crimes, Crimes of dishonesty, Fire‑raising, vandalism etc. and Crimes against public justice) and two offence groups (Miscellaneous offences and Motor vehicle offences). However, the SCJS presents information in two broad crime categories: Property Crime and Violent Crime (outlined in Box 1 below).

There are a number of reasons that the SCJS crime categories do not match the recorded crime groups; principally this is because the SCJS is a victimisation survey and does not, for example, collect data on all of the crimes and offences that the police are faced with (e.g. homicide, shoplifting or motor vehicle offences).

Box 1: SCJS Crime types

Box 1: SCJS Crime types

However, the SCJS is able to collect more detailed information on crimes that are not reported to the police, as well as information on the characteristics of crime and the attitudes and perceptions of victims. Such information is vital in presenting a fuller picture of the nature of crime in Scotland, than can be gained from recorded crime figures alone.

This section provides an overview of the main findings from SCJS 2012-13 in the property crime and violent crime categories, however does not make many direct comparisons to police recorded crime data, due to the differences in crime group within the two sources, as outlined above. Comparisons with recorded crime results are made in the section 3.3 which outlines the comparable crime subset.

Property Crime

Property crime as measured by the SCJS involves theft or damage to personal or household property (including vehicles). In 2012-13, approximately 579,000 crimes (71% of all SCJS crime) were in this category, which means that it is estimated that around 15% of adults in Scotland were a victim of property crime. Between 2008-09 and 2012-13, there was a statistically significant decrease of 21% in property crime captured by the SCJS.

Of the 579,000 property crimes estimated by the SCJS in 2012-13, vandalism accounted for 27%, followed by other household theft (including bicycle theft) (21%), personal theft (excluding robbery)(13%), all motor vehicle theft related incidents (6%) and housebreaking (4%).

The types of property crime captured in the SCJS are mostly covered in two of the police recorded crime groups, crimes of dishonesty and crime in the fire-raising, vandalism etc. group. However, while the police recorded 137,324 crimes of dishonesty group in 2013-14 (a 1% increase since 2012-13) and 54,418 crimes in the fire-raising, vandalism etc. group (a 9% decrease since 2012-13), it should be noted that these groupings are not directly comparable with the SCJS 'property' crime group as, for example they cover some crimes (such as shoplifting (27,693 recorded crimes in 2013-14) and fraud (8,088 recorded crimes in 2013-14)) which are not captured in the SCJS.

In terms of crimes reported to the police, the 2012-13 SCJS estimates that over a third (35%) of property crimes were reported to the police, however, reporting rates were highest among victims of housebreaking (64%). The most common reasons given for not reporting property crime was that the incident was considered to be too trivial (43%) or that the victim felt that the police could not have done anything about it (41%). When property crime was reported, the most common reasons given were that reporting was considered to be the right thing to do/automatic (52%) or in the hope that offenders would be caught and punished (28%). Victims of property crime also experienced emotional responses, with annoyance (56%), anger (52%) and shock (16%) being the most commonly experienced.

Table 1 shows that property crime was experienced by near equal proportions of men (15%) and women (14%), however risk declined with age.

Table 1: The varying risk of property crime (SCJS 2012-13)

All Male Female 16-24 25-44 45-59 60+
Property Crime 14.8 15.3 14.4 18.1 18.7 15.2 8.5
Base 12,050 5,210 6,840 970 3,590 3,110 4,380

Violent Crime

The SCJS violent crime category includes attempted assault, serious assault, minor assault and robbery. Of the 815,000 crimes measured by the SCJS in 2012-13, 236,000 (29%) were violent crimes, which means that it is estimated that around 3% of adults in Scotland were a victim of violent crime in 2012-13. Between 2008-09 and 2012-13 there was a statistically significant decrease of 25% in violent crime captured by the SCJS.

Of the 236,000 violent crimes estimated by the SCJS in 2012-13, minor assaults (no-negligible and minor injury) made up the majority (23%), followed by attempted assault (3%), serious assault (2%) and robbery (1%).

The latest data presented elsewhere is this report shows that in 2013-14, the police recorded 6,785 non-sexual crimes of violence. However, as noted already, this grouping is not directly comparable with the SCJS 'violent' crime group. Non-sexual crimes of violence (as used in police recorded crime) includes homicide, whilst, in addition, common assaults (which make up the majority of SCJS violent crime) are included in the miscellaneous offences police recorded crime group; in 2013-14 the police recorded 60,357 common assaults.

We know from the SCJS that not all crime is reported to the police. The 2012-13 SCJS estimates that almost half (48%) of violent crimes were reported to the police. The most common reasons victims provided for why violent crime was not reported was because they felt that the police could not have done anything about it (24%), they dealt with the matter themselves (23%) or that they considered the incident to be too trivial to involve the police (17%). Conversely, where violent crime was reported, the most common reasons given for reporting were that it was considered to be the right thing to do/automatic (42%), and-or the victim hoped to avoid repetition of the crime to themselves (29%) or someone else (29%).

Table 2 shows that that risk of violent crime decreases with age from 8% for those aged 16-24, to less than 1% for those aged 60 or over, and that males (4%) are at a higher risk of violent crime than females (2%).

Table 2: The varying risk of violent crime (SCJS 2012-13)

All Male Female 16-24 25-44 45-59 60+
Violent Crime 3.1 4.2 2.2 8.2 4.3 1.9 0.4
Base 12,050 5,210 6,840 970 3,590 3,110 4,380

In addition, the 2012-13 SCJS estimates that almost one in three violent crimes (29%) happened between 9 pm and 3 am on the weekend and that victims thought that the offender was under the influence of alcohol in 59% of violent crime, and drugs in 29% of violent crime. Injuries were sustained by victims in almost three-fifths (58%) of violent crime. Where injuries were sustained, 60% received minor bruising or a black eye and 33% received scratches. Victims also experienced emotional responses to violent crime with anger (50%), annoyance (47%) and shock (38%) being the most commonly experienced.

3.3 Comparing SCJS estimates and Recorded Crime

3.3.1 Comparable Crime - Overall Comparison

As highlighted above, the two data sources cover different populations, time periods and crimes, which means that making direct comparisons is not straightforward. Comparisons can be made by examining a broadly comparable subset of crimes which are covered by each source and can be consistently coded in the SCJS in the same way as the police would do. Comparisons are made in the following three broad crime groups:

  • Vandalism (other household crime including motor vehicle vandalism and property vandalism).
  • Acquisitive crime (including bicycle theft, housebreaking and theft of motor vehicles).
  • Violent crime (including serious assault, common assault and robbery).

On this basis, of the 815,000 crimes estimated by the 2012-13 SCJS, just under two-thirds (527,000) can be compared with police recorded crimes 2012-13.

The remainder of this section provides an overview of the level of crime and trends in the comparable subset from 2008-09 to 2012-13, the latest year for which data is available from both sources.

This analysis will be extended further in the forthcoming Scottish Government report, Bringing Together Scotland's Crime Statistics[12] . This report will be made available on the following section of the Crime and Justice web pages and users will be informed of its publication via ScotStat. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/crime-and-justice-survey/publications

Table 3: Comparable crime group estimates (2008-09 to 2012-13)

2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2012-13 % change 2008-09 to 2012-13 % change 2010-11 to 2012-13
Comparable Recorded Crime 215,901 195,728 183,117 144,662 -33% -21%
Comparable SCJS Crime 731,000 630,000 556,000 527,000 -28% -5%
Recorded Acquisitive Crime 27,527 26,146 26,478 21,834 -21% -18%
SCJS Acquisitive Crime 64,000 61,000 61,000 73,000 16% 19%
Recorded Violent Crime 82,855 79,769 78,263 66,076 -20% -16%
SCJS Violent Crime 317,000 266,000 220,000 236,000 -25% 7%
Recorded Vandalism 105,519 89,813 78,376 56,752 -46% -28%
SCJS Vandalism 350,000 303,000 275,000 219,000 -37% -20%

1. SCJS statistically significant changes (at 95% confidence interval) are shown in bold.

As presented in Table 3, in 2012-13, the SCJS estimated that there were 527,000 crimes in the overall comparable crime category, while the police recorded around 145,000 crimes in this category. The extent of overall comparable crime, in both the recorded crime figures and SCJS estimates, decreased between 2008-09 and 2012-13 (-33% and -28% respectively). The reduction in estimated SCJS comparable crime from 731,000 in 2008-09 to 527,000 in 2012-13 is a statistically significant change.

SCJS respondents are asked whether the police 'came to know about' the crime, either by them or somebody else. This allows comparisons to be made between crime estimated to have been reported to the police in the SCJS, and police recorded crime data. Figures from the 2012-13 SCJS indicate that of the 527,000 crimes in the overall comparable subset, around 232,000 incidents (44%), were estimated to have been reported to police. In 2012-13, the police recorded 144,662 crimes in the comparable category, so overall, it can also be estimated that around 27% of the total comparable crimes estimated by the SCJS (that is reported and non-reported crime) were recorded by the police in 2012-13.

However, it should be noted that this 'comparable' series is broadly, rather than directly, comparable. As a survey, the SCJS can only provide estimates of crimes reported to the police, not precise figures. It is not possible, for example, to match SCJS microdata (i.e. the individual records of survey respondents) to police recorded crime records. Therefore, it is not possible to determine whether a crime that a respondent said they reported to the police actually appeared on a police incident log in the relevant time period (at all, or before/after the time period) and, if so, to identify how it was recorded.

Consequently, we would not expect estimates of the crime reported to the police and the level recorded by the police to be equal. In light of this, the methods of analysis presented in this section are more suitable for assessing this relationship and variation of each series over time, rather than, for example, assessing with confidence the absolute level of crime estimated to have been reported but not recorded within each survey.

Finally, it should also be noted that there are a range of other factors which may affect the comparability of these series, for example it is possible that a number of crimes reported to the police are not captured and recorded by the police. However auditing of incidents and crimes recorded by Police Scotland by HMICS (http://www.hmics.org/publications/hmics-crime-audit-2014) indicates that police compliance in recording is generally good overall and does not indicate that this accounts for the difference in our two series of crime data or changes over time. In addition, the SCJS also contains factors which are likely to affect the degree of comparability to recorded crime; for example non-quantifiable error around survey estimates (for example, error in the recall of respondents about the data of the incident which may have been outside the survey reference period); or a change in underlying survey sample design (from clustered to unclustered in 2012-13); or the switch to SCJS biennial design in 2012-13, although these factors are not thought to have introduced any bias to the SCJS results.

3.3.2 Comparable Crime - by Comparable Crime Sub-groups

This section summarises findings for the comparable crime sub-groups: acquisitive crime, violent crime and vandalism. When considering these comparable crime sub-groups over time (as shown in Table 3), police recorded crime data should be used to assess the level of crime with which the police are faced and SCJS results used as a barometer to estimate the underlying level of crime.

Acquisitive Crime

In 2012-13, the SCJS estimated that there were 73,000 acquisitive crimes (+/-10,000, meaning that the true number of acquisitive crimes in the underlying population is estimated to lie somewhere between 63,000 and 82,000[13]). Of these estimated 73,000 crimes, around 40,000 (55%) were said to have been reported to the police, while, in comparison, the police recorded 21,834 acquisitive crimes. Therefore, it can be estimated that 55% of the crime estimated to be reported to the police by the SCJS were captured in police statistics. This demonstrates and reinforces the finding that these two sources of crime data should be considered as broadly rather than directly comparable; for example, they do not cover the same populations or time periods, and the SCJS gathers information from a sample rather than the whole population so the results are always estimates not precise figures, and so are subject to a range of quantifiable and non-quantifiable error.

When considering this comparable crime sub-group over time, results show that recorded acquisitive crime decreased by 21% between 2008-09 and 2012-13, however, the SCJS estimates of acquisitive crime showed no statistically significant change between 2008-09 and 2012-13 (the apparent change from 64,000 to 73,000 is not statistically significant). Survey estimates on the comparable crime subgroups are based on small base sizes of respondents (272 for acquisitive crime in 2012-13) and as a consequence, there is less certainty around estimates.

The variable nature of making these type of comparisons is reflected, for example, in analysis of shorter term change in these series, which finds greater consistency in comparable acquisitive crime in the SCJS and recorded crime between 2008-09 and 2010-11 (respectively, a change of -5% (again non-statistically significant) and a decrease of 4%). Therefore, the uncertainty around the changes in this crime sub-group, both in the short and medium term, limit the conclusions which can be drawn when comparing the SCJS and recorded crime in the acquisitive crime sub-group at this stage.

Violent crime

In 2012-13, the SCJS estimated that there were 236,000 violent crimes (+/-40,000, meaning that the true number of violent crimes in the underlying population is estimated to lie somewhere within the range 196,000 to 275,000[14]) and the police recorded 66,076 violent crimes. The SCJS estimates that around 113,000 (48%) violent crimes were reported to the police in 2012-13. Therefore, it can be estimated that 58% of the crime estimated to be reported to the police by the SCJS were recorded in police statistics, demonstrating, as mentioned above, that these two sources of crime data should be considered as broadly rather than directly comparable.

Between 2008-09 and 2012-13, recorded violent crime figures in the comparable category decreased by 20%, while, for the same period, the SCJS estimates of violent crime decreased by 25%, a statistically significant change in the SCJS results. As indicated by Table 3, the SCJS is often better able to detect changes in survey estimates with greater certainty over longer timescales, due primarily to the small numbers of victims identified in the survey (343 for violent crime in 2012-13).

Vandalism

In 2012-13, the SCJS estimated that there were 219,000 vandalism crimes (+/-20,000, meaning that the true number of vandalism crimes in the underlying population is estimated to lie somewhere between 199,000 and 239,000[15]) of which around 79,000 (36%) were reported to the police, while the police recorded 56,752 vandalism incidents. From this, it can be estimated that 72% of the vandalism crime estimated to be reported to the police by the SCJS were recorded in police statistics, again demonstrating that these two sources of crime data should be considered as broadly rather than directly comparable.

Between 2008-09 and 2012-13, recorded vandalism figures fell by 46%, while SCJS estimates have been shown a statistically significant decrease of 37%. Compared to the violent crime and acquisitive crime groups, vandalism estimates are based on larger samples of respondents (760 in the 2012-13 survey), leading to greater certainty around changes in the short and medium term.

Conclusion

This chapter has brought together the two main sources of crime statistics in Scotland: the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey and Police Recorded Crime statistics. Although each source covers different populations, crimes and offences and time periods, considering them together presents a more comprehensive picture of crime in Scotland. For example, the latest figures from the SCJS show that there were an estimated 815,000 incidents of crime against adults living in households in Scotland in 2012-13, while the police in Scotland recorded 273,053 crimes in 2012-13 (and 543,678 other offences, including 60,955 common assaults). This difference between survey estimates and recorded crime figures shows that, for many reasons, not all crime comes to the attention of the police. However, the SCJS helps to assess this and in addition is able to capture more information on the characteristics of crime and victims of crime, helping to provide a fuller picture of the nature of crime in Scotland.

Due to the differences between them, making direct comparisons between the two sources is not straightforward. However, a comparable subset of crime can be used to make some broad comparisons to assess the relationship between recorded crime figures and SCJS estimates.

Table 4: Strengths and limitations of Police Recorded Crime and the SCJS

Recorded Crime

Scottish Crime and Justice Survey

Where do the data come from?

Administrative police records

Face to face interviews with residents from a nationally representative sample of the household population

Basis for inclusion

Crimes recorded by the police in Scotland, governed by the Scottish Crime Recording Standard and Counting Rules.

Trained coders determine whether experiences of victimisation in the last 12 months constitute a crime and assign an offence code.

Frequency

Collected by financial year. Statistics released in an annual publication.

Survey conducted over 12 months, with recall period extending over 23 months. Results published biennially.

Strengths

  • Covers the full range of crimes and offences.
  • Provides data at a local authority level.
  • A good measure of rarer, more serious crimes that are well reported.
  • Measure of long-term trends.
  • Good measure of the volume and type of crime that the police are faced with.
  • Good measure of trends since 2008-09.
  • Captures information about crimes that are not reported to the police (including sensitive issues such as drug abuse).
  • Provides information on multiple and repeat victimisation (up to 5 incidents in a series).
  • Analyses risk for different demographic groups and victim-offender relationships.
  • Provides attitudinal data (e.g. fear of crime or attitudes towards the criminal justice system).

Limitations

  • Partially reliant on the public reporting crime.
  • Reporting rates may vary by the type of crime (e.g. serious crime is more likely to be reported or housebreaking if a crime number is required for insurance purposes).
  • Trends can be affected by legislation; public reporting practices; police recording practices.

  • Does not cover all crimes (e.g. homicide or 'victimless' crimes such as speeding).
  • Does not cover the entire population (e.g. children, homeless people or people living in communal accommodation).
  • Unable to produce robust data at lower level geographies.
  • Difficult to measure trends between survey sweeps in rarer forms of crime (such as more serious offences).
  • Estimates are subject to a degree of error.

What other data are collected?

  • Additional statistical bulletins published on homicides, racist incidents, firearm offences and domestic abuse incidents.
  • Public perceptions about crime.
  • Worry about crime and the perceived likelihood of being a victim.
  • Confidence in the police and the criminal justice system.
  • Prevalence estimates on 'sensitive' topics (partner abuse, sexual victimisation, stalking and drug use).

Table 5: Crimes recorded by the police, Scotland, 2004-05 to 2013-14

Number & Percentage

Crime group 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 % change 12-13 to 13-14
Total Crimes 438,123 417,785 419,257 385,509 377,433 338,124 323,247 314,188 273,053 270,397 -1
Non-sexual crimes of violence 14,728 13,726 14,099 12,874 12,612 11,228 11,438 9,533 7,530 6,785 -10
Homicide etc.1 (incl. causing death by driving) 165 121 159 142 134 106 122 121 91 106 16
Attempted murder & serious assault2 7,603 7,030 7,345 6,711 6,472 5,621 5,493 4,693 3,643 3,268 -10
Robbery 3,736 3,553 3,578 3,064 2,963 2,496 2,557 2,244 1,832 1,499 -18
Other 3,224 3,022 3,017 2,957 3,043 3,005 3,266 2,475 1,964 1,912 -3
Sexual crimes3 7,325 6,558 6,726 6,552 6,331 6,527 6,696 7,361 7,693 8,604 12
Rape & attempted rape 1,109 1,161 1,123 1,053 963 996 1,131 1,274 1,462 1,808 24
Sexual assault 3,470 3,392 3,452 3,502 3,297 3,412 3,220 2,908 3,008 3,405 13
Crimes associated with prostitution 1,458 730 779 682 765 661 576 567 534 490 -8
Other sexual crimes 1,288 1,275 1,372 1,315 1,306 1,458 1,769 2,612 2,689 2,901 8
Crimes of dishonesty 210,365 187,798 183,760 166,718 167,812 153,256 155,870 154,337 135,899 137,324 1
Housebreaking4 34,959 31,319 30,580 25,443 25,496 23,774 25,017 24,222 21,515 22,272 4
Theft by opening a lockfast place (OLP) 7,849 8,263 7,422 6,378 6,952 5,074 4,059 3,529 3,239 3,218 -1
Theft from a motor vehicle by OLP 20,403 16,453 16,060 15,217 13,649 10,173 9,495 8,988 6,159 6,189 0
Theft of a motor vehicle 15,633 14,041 15,000 12,105 11,551 9,304 8,716 7,060 5,731 5,976 4
Shoplifting 28,534 28,247 28,750 29,186 32,048 30,332 29,660 29,758 26,449 27,693 5
Other theft 77,586 72,128 70,241 64,645 64,384 61,008 64,680 66,681 58,704 58,794 0
Fraud 18,307 11,074 9,332 8,409 8,316 8,283 8,983 8,892 8,898 8,088 -9
Other dishonesty 7,094 6,273 6,375 5,335 5,416 5,308 5,260 5,207 5,204 5,094 -2
Fire-raising, vandalism etc. 128,566 127,889 129,734 118,025 109,430 93,443 82,020 75,201 59,479 54,418 -9
Fire-raising 4,698 4,856 4,976 4,635 4,651 4,244 3,966 3,755 3,066 2,549 -17
Vandalism etc. 123,868 123,033 124,758 113,390 104,779 89,199 78,054 71,446 56,413 51,869 -8
Other crimes 77,139 81,814 84,938 81,340 81,248 73,670 67,223 67,756 62,452 63,266 1
Crimes against public justice 25,616 27,668 32,052 31,353 29,493 26,885 26,294 26,635 23,401 23,610 1
Handling an offensive weapon 9,545 9,628 10,110 8,989 8,980 7,042 6,283 5,631 4,015 3,795 -5
Drugs 41,823 44,247 42,422 40,746 42,509 39,408 34,347 35,157 34,688 35,616 3
Other 155 271 354 252 266 335 299 333 348 245 -30

Notes:

This table can be accessed at local authority level online via the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/Datasets/RecCrime

1. Includes Murder, and Culpable homicide (common law), which includes Causing death by dangerous driving, Causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, Causing death by careless driving, Illegal driver involved in fatal accident and Corporate homicide.

2. For the definition of Serious assault please see Annex 1.

3. Implementation of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act on 1 December 2010 will have an effect on comparability of breakdown of Sexual crimes over time.

4. Includes dwellings, non-dwellings and other premises. For a more detailed definition see Annex 1.

Table 6: Offences recorded by the police, Scotland, 2004-05 to 2013-14

Number & Percentage

Offence group1 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 % change 12-13 to 13-14
Total offences 501,281
Miscellaneous offences 228,854 232,846 211,655 210,135 203,063 207,190 2
Common assault2 73,711 72,281 78,167 73,523 74,130 72,212 70,786 69,253 60,955 60,357 -1
Breach of the peace etc.3,4 91,772 91,400 95,051 92,206 93,327 87,403 70,468 71,451 70,301 71,288 1
Drunkenness and other disorderly conduct4,5 31,307 39,545 37,451 37,458 39,238 43,043 10
Urinating etc.4,6 5,550 6,781 7,753 8,384 10,717 14,186 13,620 13,602 15,420 15,361 0
Other4,5,6 19,373 19,500 19,330 18,371 17,149 17,141 0
Motor vehicle offences 294,091
Dangerous and careless driving 13,062 12,956 13,601 12,964 11,519 11,073 9,839 9,853 10,530 11,524 9
Driving under the influence 11,061 11,257 11,704 10,697 9,800 8,504 7,563 7,445 6,433 6,079 -6
Speeding 82,382
Unlawful use of vehicle 57,779
Vehicle defect offences 20,923
Seat belt offences7 26,225 29,324 29,171 31,505 33,047 37,880 15
Mobile phone offences7 23,957 26,146 27,736 29,110 30,875 35,764 16
Other7 41,760

Notes:

This table can be accessed at local authority level online via the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/Datasets/RecCrime

1. Since 2013-14, not all offence categories are comparable with previous years data. Please see Annex 2 for further information.

2. For the distinction between Serious assault and Common assault please see Annex 1.

3. Includes Breach of the peace, Threatening or abusive behaviour, Offence of stalking, Offensive behaviour at football and Threatening communications

4. Corrections made to data for years prior to 2013-14

5. Category now includes Consumption of alcohol in designated places (local byelaws). These crimes were previously included in the Other category

6. Urinating etc. was previously included in 'Other'

7. Seat belt offences and Mobile phone offences were previously included in Other motor vehicle offences

Table 7: Crimes and offences cleared up1 by the police, as a percentage of those recorded, Scotland, 2004-05 to 2013-14

Percentage

Crime / Offence group 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14
Total crimes 45 46 47 48 49 49 49 49 51 52
Non-sexual crimes of violence 59 59 60 62 64 67 72 75 79 82
Homicide etc.2 (incl. causing death by driving) 99 99 100 99 100 106 99 97 104 102
Attempted murder & serious assault3 60 60 60 61 62 66 70 74 78 81
Robbery 39 37 39 40 46 46 55 62 66 72
Other violence 79 81 83 84 84 85 87 90 91 89
Sexual crimes4 75 75 74 71 68 66 66 67 68 76
Rape & attempted rape 69 72 67 70 61 57 55 57 62 73
Sexual assault 73 74 71 68 65 61 64 62 62 71
Crimes associated with prostitution 99 99 98 98 99 97 97 96 96 97
Other sexual crimes 60 65 70 68 63 67 69 72 73 79
Crimes of dishonesty 37 37 38 38 39 38 37 37 38 37
Housebreaking5 25 26 26 26 24 25 25 24 25 23
Theft by opening a lockfast place (OLP) 30 37 37 32 38 31 23 22 19 17
Theft from a motor vehicle by OLP 18 15 17 15 17 17 17 17 20 16
Theft of a motor vehicle 37 37 41 44 43 44 43 45 48 43
Shoplifting 77 77 78 77 78 79 78 79 80 79
Other theft 20 21 21 21 21 21 20 21 21 21
Fraud 80 76 75 74 75 57 57 55 52 56
Other dishonesty 79 79 78 82 79 73 74 74 72 71
Fire-raising, vandalism etc. 21 23 25 25 25 26 25 25 27 25
Fire-raising 22 26 26 25 24 24 22 24 26 27
Vandalism etc. 21 23 25 25 25 26 25 25 27 25
Other crimes 98 98 99 98 98 98 98 98 98 98
Crimes against public justice 98 98 98 98 98 97 98 98 98 98
Handling an offensive weapon 97 97 97 96 96 96 96 97 97 98
Drugs 97 98 100 99 99 99 99 99 98 99
Other 73 85 85 89 89 90 89 89 94 95
Miscellaneous offences6 83 83 82 84 85 87
Common assault7 69 70 71 71 70 70 70 71 73 76
Breach of the peace etc.8 87 88 88 88 87 86 84 87 88 89
Drunkenness and other disorderly conduct9 100 100 100 100 100 100
Urinating etc.10 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Other9,10 75 74 71 75 76 79

Notes:

This table can be accessed at local authority level online via the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/Datasets/RecCrime

1. The definition of cleared up can be found in Annex 1.

2. Includes Murder, and Culpable homicide (common law), which includes Causing death by dangerous driving, Causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, Causing death by careless driving, Illegal driver involved in fatal accident and Corporate homicide.

3. For the definition of Serious assault please see Annex 1.

4. Implementation of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act on 1 December 2010 will have an effect on comparability of breakdown of Sexual crimes over time.

5. Includes dwellings, non-dwellings and other premises. For a more detailed definition see Annex 1.

6. Due to comparability issues, it is not possible to compare data with years prior to 2008-09. Further detail can be found in Annex 2.

7. For the distinction between Serious assault and Common assault please see Annex 1.

8. Includes Breach of the peace, Threatening or abusive behaviour, Offence of stalking, Offensive behaviour at football and Threatening communications

9. Category now includes Consumption of alcohol in designated places (local byelaws) previously included in 'Other'

10. Urinating etc. was previously included in the Other category

Table 8: Crimes recorded in Scotland per 10,000 population, 2004-05 to 2013-14

Number

Crime / Offence group 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14
Total crimes 862 818 817 746 725 646 614 593 514 508
Non-sexual crimes of violence 29 27 27 25 24 21 22 18 14 13
Homicide etc.1 (incl. causing death by driving) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Attempted murder & serious assault2 15 14 14 13 12 11 10 9 7 6
Robbery 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 3 3
Other violence 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 4 4
Sexual crimes3 14 13 13 13 12 12 13 14 14 16
Rape & attempted rape 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3
Sexual assault 7 7 7 7 6 7 6 5 6 6
Crimes associated with prostitution 3 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Other sexual crimes 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 5 5 5
Crimes of dishonesty 414 367 358 322 323 293 296 291 256 258
Housebreaking4 69 61 60 49 49 45 48 46 40 42
Theft by opening a lockfast place (OLP) 15 16 14 12 13 10 8 7 6 6
Theft from a motor vehicle by OLP 40 32 31 29 26 19 18 17 12 12
Theft of a motor vehicle 31 27 29 23 22 18 17 13 11 11
Shoplifting 56 55 56 56 62 58 56 56 50 52
Other theft 153 141 137 125 124 117 123 126 110 110
Fraud 36 22 18 16 16 16 17 17 17 15
Other dishonesty 14 12 12 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Fire-raising, vandalism etc. 253 250 253 228 210 179 156 142 112 102
Fire-raising 9 10 10 9 9 8 8 7 6 5
Vandalism etc. 244 241 243 219 201 170 148 135 106 97
Other crimes 152 160 165 157 156 141 128 128 118 119
Crimes against public justice 50 54 62 61 57 51 50 50 44 44
Handling an offensive weapon 19 19 20 17 17 13 12 11 8 7
Drugs 82 87 83 79 82 75 65 66 65 67
Other 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0
Total offences5 941
Miscellaneous offences 440 445 402 396 382 389
Common assault6 145 141 152 142 142 138 135 131 115 113
Breach of the peace etc.7 181 179 185 178 179 167 134 135 132 134
Drunkenness and other disorderly conduct8 60 76 71 71 74 81
Urinating etc.9 11 13 15 16 21 27 26 26 29 29
Other8,9 37 37 37 35 32 32
Motor vehicle offences 552
Dangerous and careless driving 26 25 26 25 22 21 19 19 20 22
Driving under the influence 22 22 23 21 19 16 14 14 12 11
Speeding 155
Unlawful use of vehicle 108
Vehicle defect offences 39
Seat belt offences10 50 56 55 59 62 71
Mobile phone offences10 46 50 53 55 58 67
Other motor vehicle offences10 78
Total crimes and offences 1,448

Notes:

This table can be accessed at local authority level online via the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/Datasets/RecCrime

1. Includes Murder, and Culpable homicide (common law), which includes Causing death by dangerous driving, Causing death by careless driving while under the influence of dr ink or drugs, Causing death by careless driving, Illegal driver involved in fatal accident and Corporate homicide.

2. For the definition of Serious assault please see Annex 1.

3. Implementation of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act will have an effect on comparability of breakdown of Sexual crimes over time. For further information please see Annex 2.

4. Includes dwellings, non-dwellings and other premises. For a more detailed definition see Annex 1.

5. Due to comparability issues, it is not possible to compare data with years prior to 2008-09. Further detail can be found in Annex 2.

6. For the distinction between Serious assault and Common assault please see Annex 1.

7. Includes Breach of the peace, Threatening or abusive behaviour, Offence of stalking, Offensive behaviour at football and Threatening communications (Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act 2012).

8. Category now includes Consumption of alcohol in designated places (local byelaws) previously included in 'Other'

9. Urinating etc. was previously included in the Other category

10. Seat belt offences and Mobile phone offences were previously included in Other motor vehicle offences

Table 9: Crimes recorded by local authority area, 2013-14

Number

Local authority area Non-sexual crimes of violence Sexual crimes Crimes of dishonesty Fire-raising, vandalism, etc. Other crimes Total crimes Miscellaneous offences Motor vehicle offences Total offences Total crimes and offences
Aberdeen City 317 402 8,815 2,715 3,141 15,390 9,999 10,655 20,654 36,044
Aberdeenshire 117 255 3,693 1,688 1,083 6,836 4,010 8,899 12,909 19,745
Angus 87 251 1,966 896 804 4,004 2,409 5,094 7,503 11,507
Argyll & Bute 76 131 1,122 627 948 2,904 2,854 4,915 7,769 10,673
Clackmannanshire 63 59 1,006 681 521 2,330 1,419 2,720 4,139 6,469
Dumfries & Galloway 176 261 2,173 1,111 1,630 5,351 4,184 12,250 16,434 21,785
Dundee City 195 338 4,763 1,996 1,920 9,212 5,066 6,060 11,126 20,338
East Ayrshire 155 181 2,735 1,291 1,376 5,738 4,243 8,405 12,648 18,386
East Dunbartonshire 66 47 1,660 642 651 3,066 2,418 3,968 6,386 9,452
East Lothian 78 131 1,866 763 655 3,493 2,100 2,616 4,716 8,209
East Renfrewshire 33 50 1,179 539 319 2,120 1,303 3,649 4,952 7,072
Edinburgh, City of 869 856 22,493 5,995 5,401 35,614 15,686 14,977 30,663 66,277
Eilean Siar 11 31 160 151 125 478 494 631 1,125 1,603
Falkirk 149 222 3,533 1,584 1,722 7,210 4,956 11,902 16,858 24,068
Fife 383 964 8,093 3,323 3,387 16,150 11,009 12,633 23,642 39,792
Glasgow City 1,538 1,516 25,363 8,403 14,003 50,823 59,431 68,775 128,206 179,029
Highland 226 375 3,725 1,912 1,994 8,232 6,347 11,884 18,231 26,463
Inverclyde 125 88 1,617 832 1,661 4,323 3,902 3,849 7,751 12,074
Midlothian 100 95 2,313 990 848 4,346 2,440 1,347 3,787 8,133
Moray 53 166 1,577 762 557 3,115 2,091 4,246 6,337 9,452
North Ayrshire 225 183 3,534 1,549 1,556 7,047 4,941 7,318 12,259 19,306
North Lanarkshire 401 389 7,810 4,118 5,066 17,784 15,108 17,538 32,646 50,430
Orkney Islands 10 50 133 104 67 364 418 545 963 1,327
Perth & Kinross 127 209 2,360 852 1,382 4,930 3,075 6,640 9,715 14,645
Renfrewshire 300 258 4,311 1,717 2,705 9,291 7,389 11,413 18,802 28,093
Scottish Borders 73 152 1,479 792 710 3,206 2,342 3,140 5,482 8,688
Shetland Islands 9 18 158 112 143 440 352 474 826 1,266
South Ayrshire 122 147 2,808 1,036 975 5,088 3,753 7,268 11,021 16,109
South Lanarkshire 285 229 6,514 3,197 3,958 14,183 12,280 22,096 34,376 48,559
Stirling 72 120 1,952 850 787 3,781 2,533 6,818 9,351 13,132
West Dunbartonshire 139 116 2,112 1,180 1,656 5,203 4,074 5,456 9,530 14,733
West Lothian 205 314 4,301 2,010 1,515 8,345 4,564 5,910 10,474 18,819
SCOTLAND 6,785 8,604 137,324 54,418 63,266 270,397 207,190 294,091 501,281 771,678

Table 10: Percentage of crimes cleared up1, by local authority area, 2013-14

Percentage

Local authority area Non-sexual crimes of violence Sexual crimes Crimes of dishonesty Fire-raising, vandalism, etc. Other crimes Total crimes Miscellaneous offences
Aberdeen City 75 68 35 26 97 48 82
Aberdeenshire 79 69 32 22 99 42 77
Angus 93 79 49 33 98 58 86
Argyll & Bute 97 82 40 30 98 60 91
Clackmannanshire 100 75 46 32 98 56 85
Dumfries & Galloway 91 75 54 48 97 68 90
Dundee City 88 79 46 26 97 54 86
East Ayrshire 93 85 38 21 99 52 87
East Dunbartonshire 83 68 29 22 95 44 89
East Lothian 81 73 37 22 98 47 82
East Renfrewshire 82 56 25 14 100 35 78
Edinburgh, City of 76 71 30 19 99 40 75
Eilean Siar 100 132 61 52 116 78 97
Falkirk 93 86 48 34 97 59 85
Fife 94 86 56 41 99 65 93
Glasgow City 73 69 35 20 97 52 90
Highland 92 82 46 41 107 63 93
Inverclyde 70 75 43 15 99 60 94
Midlothian 87 80 36 26 98 48 80
Moray 89 78 30 28 101 46 78
North Ayrshire 84 75 31 18 98 46 85
North Lanarkshire 80 71 38 24 99 54 91
Orkney Islands 90 104 65 43 100 71 94
Perth & Kinross 98 76 44 37 97 61 90
Renfrewshire 74 71 32 16 99 51 88
Scottish Borders 89 75 45 35 101 57 90
Shetland Islands 122 78 63 45 106 74 94
South Ayrshire 88 91 37 22 99 49 89
South Lanarkshire 86 75 33 20 98 50 91
Stirling 94 73 46 30 99 55 86
West Dunbartonshire 95 63 40 19 98 56 87
West Lothian 84 71 34 20 100 45 79
SCOTLAND 82 76 37 25 98 52 87

Notes:

1. The definition of cleared up can be found in Annex 1.

Table 11: Number of crimes recorded by the police per 10,000 population1 by local authority area, 2013-14

Rate per 10,000 population

Local authority area Non-sexual crimes of violence Sexual crimes Crimes of dishonesty Fire-raising, vandalism, etc. Other crimes Total crimes Miscellaneous offences Motor vehicle offences Total offences Total crimes and offences
Aberdeen City 14 18 388 120 138 678 440 469 909 1,587
Aberdeenshire 5 10 143 65 42 265 156 345 501 766
Angus 7 22 169 77 69 344 207 438 645 990
Argyll & Bute 9 15 127 71 108 330 324 558 882 1,212
Clackmannanshire 12 12 196 133 102 454 277 530 807 1,262
Dumfries & Galloway 12 17 145 74 108 356 278 815 1,094 1,450
Dundee City 13 23 321 135 130 622 342 409 751 1,373
East Ayrshire 13 15 223 105 112 469 347 686 1,033 1,502
East Dunbartonshire 6 4 157 61 61 290 228 375 603 893
East Lothian 8 13 184 75 65 345 207 258 465 810
East Renfrewshire 4 5 129 59 35 232 142 399 541 773
Edinburgh, City of 18 18 461 123 111 731 322 307 629 1,360
Eilean Siar 4 11 58 55 46 174 180 230 411 585
Falkirk 9 14 225 101 110 459 315 757 1,073 1,532
Fife 10 26 221 91 92 440 300 344 644 1,085
Glasgow City 26 25 425 141 235 852 996 1,153 2,149 3,001
Highland 10 16 160 82 86 353 272 510 783 1,136
Inverclyde 16 11 201 104 207 538 486 479 965 1,503
Midlothian 12 11 273 117 100 513 288 159 447 960
Moray 6 18 167 81 59 330 222 450 672 1,002
North Ayrshire 16 13 258 113 114 515 361 534 895 1,410
North Lanarkshire 12 12 231 122 150 527 447 519 967 1,493
Orkney Islands 5 23 62 48 31 169 194 253 446 615
Perth & Kinross 9 14 160 58 94 334 208 449 658 991
Renfrewshire 17 15 248 99 156 534 425 656 1,081 1,615
Scottish Borders 6 13 130 70 62 282 206 276 481 763
Shetland Islands 4 8 68 48 62 190 152 204 356 546
South Ayrshire 11 13 249 92 86 451 333 644 977 1,427
South Lanarkshire 9 7 207 102 126 450 390 702 1,092 1,542
Stirling 8 13 214 93 86 414 278 747 1,025 1,439
West Dunbartonshire 15 13 235 131 184 579 454 608 1,061 1,640
West Lothian 12 18 244 114 86 474 259 336 595 1,068
SCOTLAND 13 16 258 102 119 508 389 552 941 1,448

Notes:

1. Population estimates are as at mid-year 2013 from the National Records of Scotland.
(http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/population/estimates/mid-year/index.html

Table 12: Number of crimes recorded by the police, index of rate per 10,000 population1, by local authority area, 2012-13

Index of rate per 10,000 population

Local authority area Non-sexual crimes of violence Sexual crimes Crimes of dishonesty Fire-raising, vandalism, etc. Other crimes Total crimes Miscellaneous offences Motor vehicle offences Total offences Total crimes and offences
Aberdeen City 110 110 151 117 116 134 113 85 97 110
Aberdeenshire 36 61 56 64 35 52 40 63 53 53
Angus 59 134 66 75 58 68 53 79 69 68
Argyll & Bute 68 92 49 70 91 65 83 101 94 84
Clackmannanshire 96 71 76 130 86 90 71 96 86 87
Dumfries & Galloway 92 108 56 72 91 70 72 148 116 100
Dundee City 103 141 125 132 109 122 88 74 80 95
East Ayrshire 99 92 87 103 95 92 89 124 110 104
East Dunbartonshire 49 27 61 59 52 57 59 68 64 62
East Lothian 60 80 71 74 54 68 53 47 49 56
East Renfrewshire 28 34 50 58 29 46 37 72 58 53
Edinburgh, City of 140 109 179 120 93 144 83 56 67 94
Eilean Siar 32 70 23 54 38 34 46 42 44 40
Falkirk 74 87 87 99 92 90 81 137 114 106
Fife 82 163 86 89 78 87 77 62 68 75
Glasgow City 202 157 165 138 198 168 256 209 228 207
Highland 76 100 62 80 72 70 70 92 83 78
Inverclyde 122 68 78 101 174 106 125 87 103 104
Midlothian 93 69 106 114 84 101 74 29 48 66
Moray 44 109 65 79 50 65 57 82 71 69
North Ayrshire 129 83 100 111 96 101 93 97 95 97
North Lanarkshire 93 71 90 119 126 104 115 94 103 103
Orkney Islands 36 144 24 47 26 33 50 46 47 42
Perth & Kinross 67 88 62 56 79 66 54 81 70 68
Renfrewshire 135 92 96 97 131 105 109 119 115 112
Scottish Borders 50 83 50 68 53 55 53 50 51 53
Shetland Islands 30 48 26 47 52 37 39 37 38 38
South Ayrshire 85 81 97 90 73 89 86 117 104 99
South Lanarkshire 71 45 80 99 106 89 100 127 116 106
Stirling 62 81 83 91 73 82 71 135 109 99
West Dunbartonshire 122 80 91 129 155 114 117 110 113 113
West Lothian 91 110 95 112 72 93 67 61 63 74
SCOTLAND 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

Notes:

1. Population estimates are as at mid-year 2013 from the National Records of Scotland.
(http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/population/estimates/mid-year/index.html).

Table A1: Crimes and offences recorded and cleared up1 by the police, Scotland, 2009-10 to 2013-14

Number

2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14
Police strength at end financial year
(full-time equivalent - FTE)
17,409 17,263 17,436 17,496 17,244
Number of crimes recorded 338,124 323,247 314,188 273,053 270,397
Crimes recorded per 1,000 population2 65 61 59 51 51
Crimes recorded per FTE police officer 19 19 18 16 16
Number of crimes cleared up1 166,680 156,943 155,264 140,083 139,306
Crimes cleared up per FTE police officer 10 9 9 8 8
Number of offences recorded 501,281
Offences recorded per 1,000 population2 94
Offences recorded per FTE police officer 29
Number of offences cleared up1 472,099
Offences cleared up per FTE police officer 27

Notes:

1. For a definition of cleared up, see Annex 1.

2. Population estimates are as at mid-year 2013 from the National Records of Scotland.
(http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/population/estimates/mid-year/index.html).

Table A2: Sexual crimes1 recorded by the police, Scotland, 2004-05 to 2013-14

Number & Percentage

Sexual crimes 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 % change 12-13 to 13-14
Rape & attempted rape 1,109 1,161 1,123 1,053 963 996 1,131 1,274 1,462 1,808 24
Rape 900 975 922 908 821 884 997 1,183 1,372 1,690 23
Attempted rape 209 186 201 145 142 112 134 91 90 118 31
Sexual assault 3,470 3,392 3,452 3,502 3,297 3,412 3,220 2,908 3,008 3,405 13
Sexual assault including against children 1,542 1,557 1,714 1,721 1,681 1,737 1,774 2,056 2,166 2,449 13
Lewd and libidinous practices 1,928 1,835 1,738 1,781 1,616 1,675 1,446 852 842 956 14
Crimes associated with prostitution 1,458 730 779 682 765 661 576 567 534 490 -8
Crimes relating to prostitution 1,391 684 718 525 533 418 353 344 348 295 -15
Soliciting services of person engaged in prostitution - - - 101 172 162 154 149 133 117 -12
Brothel keeping 11 11 18 27 24 34 21 36 28 32 14
Immoral traffic 47 27 17 16 21 36 33 26 14 32 129
Procuration 9 8 26 13 15 11 15 12 11 14 27
Other 1,288 1,275 1,372 1,315 1,306 1,458 1,769 2,612 2,689 2,901 8
Other sexually coercive conduct ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 155 660 823 956 16
Other sexual offences involving 13-15 year old children 277 316 436 394 370 445 441 516 429 434 1
Taking, distribution, possession etc. of indecent photos of children * * * * * 69 225 375 595 621 4
Incest 27 29 19 18 19 49 17 18 16 11 -31
Illegal homosexual acts 117 98 84 87 97 74 118 46 45 53 18
Indecent exposure 858 816 817 786 786 766 742 894 680 682 0
Other sexual crimes 9 16 16 30 34 55 71 103 101 144 43
Total Sexual crimes1 7,325 6,558 6,726 6,552 6,331 6,527 6,696 7,361 7,693 8,604 12

- =The relevant legislation for this category was implemented in 2007-08.

~ =The relevant legislation for this category was implemented in 2010-11.

* = Crimes within this category were not separately identifiable before 2009-10.

Notes:

1. Implementation of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act on 1 December 2010 will have an effect on comparability of breakdown of Sexual crimes over time.

Table A3: Further breakdown of Sexual crimes1 recorded by the police, Scotland, 2009-10 to 2013-14

Number

Sexual crimes 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 % change 12-13 to 13-14
Rape & attempted rape 996 1,131 1,274 1,462 1,808 24
Rape 884 997 1,183 1,372 1,690 23
Attempted rape 112 134 91 90 118 31
Sexual assault 3,412 3,220 2,908 3,008 3,405 13
Sexual assault committed prior to 1 December 2010 1,685 1,275 288 316 358 13
Sexual assault against an adult 16+ ~ 321 1,139 1,149 1,323 15
Sexual assault against a child aged 13-15 ~ 67 245 312 372 19
Sexual assault against a child under 13 52 111 384 389 396 2
Lewd and libidinous practices 1,675 1,446 852 842 956 14
Crimes associated with prostitution 661 576 567 534 490 -8
Crimes relating to prostitution 418 353 344 348 295 -15
Soliciting services of person engaged in prostitution 162 154 149 133 117 -12
Brothel keeping 34 21 36 28 32 14
Immoral traffic 36 33 26 14 32 129
Procuration 11 15 12 11 14 27
Other 1,458 1,769 2,612 2,689 2,901 8
Other sexually coercive conduct against an adult 16+ ~ 53 247 339 343 1
Other sexually coercive conduct against a child aged 13-15 ~ 48 181 256 365 43
Other sexually coercive conduct against a child under 13 ~ 54 232 228 248 9
Other sexual offences involving 13-15 year old children 445 441 516 429 434 1
Taking, distribution, possession etc. of indecent photos of children 69 225 375 595 621 4
Incest 49 17 18 16 11 -31
Illegal homosexual acts 74 118 46 45 53 18
Indecent exposure 766 742 894 680 682 0
Other sexual crimes 55 71 103 101 144 43
Total Sexual crimes1 6,527 6,696 7,361 7,693 8,604 12

~ =The relevant legislation for this category was implemented in 2010-11.

Notes:

1. Implementation of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act on 1 December 2010 will have an effect on comparability of breakdown of Sexual crimes over time.

Table A4: Theft by housebreaking1 (including attempts and housebreaking 'with intent'), Scotland, 2004-05 to 2013-14

Number & Percentage

Crime category 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 % change 12-13 to 13-14
Domestic: 23,613 21,232 20,429 17,465 17,223 16,727 17,657 17,375 15,656 16,334 4
Dwelling 17,368 15,135 14,523 12,437 12,133 11,790 12,633 12,198 10,767 10,732 0
Non-dwelling 6,245 6,097 5,906 5,028 5,090 4,937 5,024 5,177 4,889 5,602 15
Other 11,346 10,087 10,151 7,978 8,273 7,047 7,360 6,847 5,859 5,938 1
Total Housebreaking 34,959 31,319 30,580 25,443 25,496 23,774 25,017 24,222 21,515 22,272 4
Percentage Domestic 68% 68% 67% 69% 68% 70% 71% 72% 73% 73%

1. For a more detailed definition of housebreaking see Annex 1.

Table A5: Theft of, and from, motor vehicles recorded by the police, Scotland, 2004-05 to 2013‑14

Number & Percentage

Crime category 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 % change 12-13 to 13-14
Theft from motor vehicle of which: 27,921 23,569 22,858 21,944 20,825 17,075 16,531 16,906 13,323 13,821 4
Theft by opening a lockfast place (OLP) 15,012 12,162 11,519 11,181 9,847 7,400 6,795 6,386 4,404 4,450 1
OLP with intent to steal 3,367 2,634 2,882 2,695 2,613 1,812 1,793 1,792 1,198 1,152 -4
Attempted theft OLP 2,024 1,657 1,659 1,341 1,189 961 907 810 557 587 5
Other theft 7,518 7,116 6,798 6,727 7,176 6,902 7,036 7,918 7,164 7,632 7
Theft of motor vehicle 12,339 11,317 11,820 9,864 9,407 7,706 7,325 6,087 5,149 5,340 4
Attempted theft of motor vehicle 3,294 2,724 3,180 2,241 2,144 1,598 1,391 973 582 636 9
Total Motor vehicle theft 43,554 37,610 37,858 34,049 32,376 26,379 25,247 23,966 19,054 19,797 4

Table A6: Crimes of Handling an offensive weapon recorded by the police, Scotland, 2004-05 to 2013-14

Number & Percentage

Crime category 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 % change 12-13 to 13-14
Possession of an offensive weapon 5,794 5,982 6,189 5,398 4,892 3,839 3,248 2,820 1,863 1,728 -7
Restriction of an offensive weapon 2 3 1 3 8 9 20 19 17 6 -65
Having in a public place an article with a blade or point 3,749 3,643 3,920 3,588 4,080 3,194 3,015 2,792 2,135 2,061 -3
Total Handling an offensive weapon 9,545 9,628 10,110 8,989 8,980 7,042 6,283 5,631 4,015 3,795 -5

Table A7: Drug crimes recorded by the police, Scotland 2004-05 to 2013-14

Number & Percentage

Crime category 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 % change 12-13 to 13-14
Illegal importation of drugs 1 23 9 9 9 17 30 19 24 27 13
Illegal cultivation of drugs 254 297 437 490 609 753 964 1,242 1,251 1,185 -5
Possession of drugs with intent to supply 9,078 9,293 10,444 9,328 9,697 9,131 6,144 5,423 3,861 3,594 -7
Possession of drugs 32,268 34,440 31,329 30,559 31,805 29,179 26,960 28,326 29,150 30,451 4
Drugs, other offences, money laundering 222 194 203 360 389 328 249 147 402 359 -11
Total Drug crimes 41,823 44,247 42,422 40,746 42,509 39,408 34,347 35,157 34,688 35,616 3

Table A8: Breach of the peace etc. offences recorded by the police, Scotland, 2009‑10 to 2013-14

Number & Percentage

Crime category 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 % change 12-13 to 13-14
Breach of the peace 87,403 58,432 33,710 25,072 21,755 -13
Threatening or abusive behaviour1 - 11,914 37,223 44,429 48,521 9
Offence of stalking1 - 122 495 605 875 45
Offensive behaviour at football2 - - 22 154 126 -18
Threatening communications2 - - 1 41 11 -73
Total Breach of the peace etc. 87,403 70,468 71,451 70,301 71,288 1

Notes:

1. Offence introduced in October 2010

2. Offence introduced in March 2012

Table A9: Racially aggravated offences, Scotland, 2004-05 to 2013-14

Number & Percentage

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 % change 12-13 to 13-14
Racially aggravated harassment 550 503 463 452 425 313 257 171 155 128 -17
Racially aggravated conduct 3306 3791 4011 4091 4,139 4,200 3,916 3,315 2,748 2,584 -6
Total 3,856 4,294 4,474 4,543 4,564 4,513 4,173 3,486 2,903 2,712 -7

Contact

Email: Jan Young

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