Coronavirus (COVID-19): Justice Analytical Services data report - August 2021

Recorded Crime in Scotland

The recorded crime figures presented below exclude crimes recorded under the coronavirus legislation.

Note: Each set of columns shows from left to right, August 2019, 2020 and 2021

August 2021

The number of crimes reco rded in August 2021 was 4% lower than in August 2020 and 8% lower than in August 2019. The number of offences was 7% lower than in August 2020 and 6% lower than in August 2019.

Non-sexual crimes of violence were 4% lower (or 37 crimes) compared to August 2020, decreasing from 828 to 791 crimes, and 2% higher compared to August 2019 (increasing from 775 crimes). Within this, Attempted murder and serious assault decreased by 19% compared to August 2020 (from 396 to 319). Other violence increased by 32% compared to August 2020 (from 162 to 214) and also increased by 71% from August 2019 (from 125 to 214).

Sexual crimes were 4% higher (or 39 crimes) compared to last August, increasing from 1,091 to 1,130 crimes. This was less than 1% higher than in August 2019 (increasing from 1,128 crimes). Sexual assault saw the largest increase since August 2020, increasing by 15% (from 356 to 411). However, this was 13% lower than in August 2019. Rape and attempted rape increased by 15% compared to August 2020, from 164 to 189 crimes, but this was also a 13% decrease compared to August 2019 (from 216 to 189 crimes).

Fire raising, vandalism etc. was 4% lower (or 162 fewer crimes) compared to August 2020, and 4% lower than in August 2019.

Crimes of dishonesty were 1% higher (or 59 crimes) compared to August 2020, increasing from 8,118 to 8,177 crimes. This was 11% lower than in August 2019 (decreasing from 9,159 crimes). Crimes of Fraud have increased throughout the pandemic, and there has been a 4% increase since August 2020 (from 1,354 to 1,404).

Other crimes were 13% lower (or 749 crimes) than in August 2020, decreasing from 5,936 to 5,187 crimes. This was also 9% lower than August 2019 (decreasing from 5,705 to 5,187 crimes). The main contributors to these decreases were Drugs (which fell by 17% compared to August 2020 and 28% compared to August 2019) and Crimes against public justice (which fell by 13% compared to August 2020 but were 11% higher compared to August 2019).

Note: each category shows columns from left to right for August 2019, 2020 and 2021

The biggest drivers of the decrease from August 2020 to August 2021 were Drugs and Crimes against public justice.

The biggest drivers of the 4% decrease over this period were:

Drugs

↓ 17% (or 461 crimes)

↓28% (or 882 crimes) compared to August 2019

Crimes against public justice

↓13% (or 291 crimes)

↑ 11% (or 192 crimes) compared to August 2019

The biggest increases from August 2020 to August 2021 (by volume) were:

Shoplifting

↑ 6% (or 115 crimes)

↓23% (or 603 crimes) compared to August 2019

Other theft

↑ 3% (or 97 crimes)

↓13% (or 481 crimes) compared to August 2019

Further Information: The data in this section comes from the monthly Official Statistics on crimes and offences recorded by the police in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, please see Recorded Crime in Scotland: August 2021.