Coronavirus (COVID-19): Justice Analytical Services data report- March 2022

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, March 2020, 2021 and 2022

March 2022

The number of crimes reco rded in March 2022 was 2% lower than in March 2021 and 1% lower than in March 2020. The number of offences was 6% lower compared to March 2021 but 2% higher than in March 2020.

Non-sexual crimes of violence were 7% (or 57 crimes) higher compared to March 2021, increasing from 795 to 852 crimes, and 21% higher compared to March 2020 (increasing from 702 crimes). Within this, Attempted murder and serious assault increased by 18% compared to March 2021 (from 262 to 310). Other violence increased by 15% compared to March 2021 (from 224 to 258) and also increased by 119% from March 2020 (from 118 to 258). The increase in Other violence between March 2020 and March 2022 was due to a rise in Threats and extortion, with the recently published National Statistics bulletin estimating that more than three-quarters (77%) of Threats and extortion recorded in 2020-21 were cyber-crimes. Crimes under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 increased by 6% compared to March 2021 (from 150 to 159 crimes) and were 45% higher than in March 2020 (increasing from 110 to 159 crimes).

Sexual crimes were 7% (or 92 crimes) lower compared to March 2021, decreasing from 1,278 to 1,186 crimes. This was 7% higher than in March 2020 (increasing from 1,106 crimes). Sexual assault saw the largest percentage increase since March 2021, increasing by 18% (from 373 to 440). This was 15% higher compared to March 2020 (from 383 to 440). Rape and attempted rape decreased by 12% compared to March 2021, from 225 to 198 crimes, but increased by 30% compared to March 2020 (from 152 to 198 crimes).

Crimes of dishonesty were 9% (or 714 crimes) higher compared to March 2021, increasing from 7,684 to 8,398 crimes. This was 1% higher than in March 2020 (increasing from 8,356 crimes). Crimes of Fraud have increased throughout the pandemic. Despite a 15% decrease compared to March 2021 (from 1,764 to 1,505 crimes), there was a 49% increase since March 2020 (from 1,010 to 1,505). The Changes in levels of recorded fraud section in the monthly crime publication provides users with further background on what may be contributing to this change. Shoplifting was the biggest contributor (by volume) to the increase since 2021 having risen by 28% compared to March 2021 (from 1,706 to 2,189 crimes), and was 2% higher when compared to March 2020.

Fire-raising, vandalism etc. was 1% (or 22 crimes) lower compared to March 2021, decreasing from 3,753 to 3,731 crimes, and was 4% lower than March 2020. Vandalism etc. had one fewer crimes than March 2021 (decreasing from 3,533 to 3,532). This is 5% lower than March 2020 levels.

Other crimes were 18% (or 1,030 crimes) lower than in March 2021, decreasing from 5,638 to 4,608 crimes. This is 4% lower than March 2020 (decreasing from 4,813 to 4,608 crimes). The largest contributor to the decrease since 2021 was Drugs (which fell by 31% compared to March 2021 and 21% compared to March 2020).

The following chart shows a breakdown of the crime and offence groups, comparing March 2020, 2021 and 2022

Note: each category shows rows from top to bottom for March 2020, 2021 and 2022

The biggest decreases from March 2021 to March 2022 were Drugs and Fraud.

The biggest decreases over this period were:

Drugs

↓ 31% (or 865 crimes)

↓ 21% (or 523 crimes) compared to March 2020

Fraud

↓ 15% (or 259 crimes)

↑ 49% (or 495 crimes) compared to March 2020

The biggest increases from March 2021 to March 2022 (by volume) were:

Shoplifting

↑ 28% (or 483 crimes)

↑ 2% (or 42 crimes) compared to March 2020

Other theft

↑ 17% (or 432 crimes)

↑ 5% (or 155 crimes) compared to March 2020

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: March 2022.

Police Recorded Domestic Abuse Incidents

The number of Domestic Abuse incidents recorded in March 2022 was broadly the same as in March 2021 but higher than in March 2020.

These updates (including the proportion with a crime or offence) will be reflected in future editions of the Official Statistics on Domestic Abuse in Scotland. The most recent edition covers the 2020-21 reporting year.

In March 2022:

5,111

Domestic incidents recorded

Stable (up <1%) since Mar 2021 (5,109 incidents)

Up 1% since Mar 2020 (5,040 incidents)

In April 2021 to March 2022:

62,899 Domestic incidents recorded

Down 2% since the same months in Apr 2020 to Mar 2021 (64,140 incidents)

Up 1% since the same months in Apr 2019 to Mar 2020 (62,161 incidents)

The proportion of April 2021 to March 2022 incidents that included the recording of at least one crime or offence was 42.4%, lower than for the equivalent period the previous year (April 2020 to March 2021), at 43.3%.

In addition to the above, separate figures on crimes recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 are available from the Recorded Crime in Scotland monthly Official Statistics. There were 159 such crimes recorded by the police in March 2022, this is 6% higher than March 2021 (150 crimes) and 45% higher than March 2020 (110 crimes).

Police Recorded Domestic Abuse Incidents per 10,000 population

Across Scotland as a whole, the police recorded 115 domestic abuse incidents per 10,000 population^[1] during the period April 2021 to March 2022.

The local authorities with the highest rates were Dundee City (168), West Dunbartonshire (155), City of Glasgow (144) and Clackmannanshire (144).

The following chart shows local authorities with rates above the national average.

The following map shows local authorities with above the national average (in a darker shading) of Domestic Abuse incidents per 10,000 population, in the period April 2021 to March 2022.

Further Information:

The crime 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 the Monthly Official Statistics on Recorded Crime in Scotland.