Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2023-24

Crimes against society

Crimes against society accounted for 21% of all crimes recorded in Scotland in 2023-24. Between 2022-23 and 2023-24, the number of Crimes against society recorded by the police increased by 4%, from 59,374 to 61,650. This rise is mostly driven by an increase in the recording of Crimes against public justice.

Chart 14 below shows the number of Crimes against society from 1971 onwards. After increasing for a long period up to 2006-07, these crimes decreased until 2016-17, before rising and then falling again over 2020-21 to 2022-23, then increasing again in the most recent year. It should be noted that a key part of the overall increase since 2016-17 is due to a procedural change in the recording of crimes of handling an offensive weapon (see later in this section for further information).

Crimes against society have decreased significantly since 2006-07 but have remained above 50,000 since 1997-98.

The national rate of recorded Crimes against society was 113 crimes per 10,000 population in 2023-24. This increased from 109 per 10,000 population in 2022-23.

Chart 15 shows the categories within Crimes against society over the last ten years and gives an indication of the trend and scale of each category.

In 2023-24, of all Crimes against society:

• Crimes against public justice and Drugs - Possession were the largest categories, accounting for 41% and 34%, respectively
• Weapons possession (used) accounted for 10%
• Weapons possession (not used) accounted for 8%
• Drugs – Supply accounted for 7%
• Other crimes against society accounted for less than 1%

Crimes against public justice and Drugs possession have consistently been the largest two categories of Crimes against society over the last ten years.

Note: There was a procedural change to the counting of crimes of handling an offensive weapon in 2017-18. As such, the significant rise in the total number of recorded crimes of handling an offensive weapon shown for that year, does not represent a real increase in these crimes.

The following sections discuss in more detail trends for each crime category comprised in the Crimes against society crime group. These are:

• Crimes against public justice
• Weapons possession (not used)
• Weapons possession (used)
• Drugs – Supply
• Drugs – Possession
• Other crimes against society

Further details on some categories can be found in the 'Supporting documents' Excel workbook.

Crimes against public justice

Crimes against public justice accounted for 41% of Crimes against society, the largest category in 2023-24. These cover a range of crimes, including Bail offences, Resisting arrest and General attempts to pervert the course of justice.

Over the ten year period from 2014-15 to 2023-24 the number of crimes recorded in this category increased by 19%. There was a 10% increase in the most recent year, from 22,967 recorded in 2022-23 to 25,205 in 2023-24. This is the first year there has been an increase since the large rise in 2020-21, which was likely due to the circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Handling offensive weapons

In 2017-18, the Scottish Crime Recording Board made a procedural change to how some crimes of handling an offensive weapon were recorded. This has had an impact on the comparability of the recorded crime statistics before and after this point.

Prior to 2017-18, statistics on handling offensive weapons in public places only include incidents where the perpetrator did not commit further crimes with the weapon. If they had, the specific crime of handling an offensive weapon was considered an aggravation of the crime it was used to commit (for example an aggravated assault) and would not have been included in the statistics.

From 1 April 2017, crimes of handling offensive weapons in public places are no longer treated as an aggravation where they are used to commit other crimes or offences against a person. As such, both the crime of handling an offensive weapon in a public place and any crime or offence committed with it are now both included in the statistics. This change was made to improve consistency between the recording of these crimes and the criminal law.

As a result of this change, crimes of handling an offensive weapon have been substantially higher since 2017-18. This does not represent a real increase in recorded crime. This change will continue to have an impact on the comparability of recorded crime statistics for all years prior to 2017-18.

From 2017-18, crimes of handling an offensive weapon in Scotland can then be counted in two different ways:

• the first is to use the pre-existing statistics, where the offensive weapon has not been used to commit another crime or offence against a person in a public place
• the second is to look at crimes where the offensive weapon was used to commit another crime or offence against a person in a public place

In June 2018 the Scottish Government published a report that presented more detailed information on the handling of offensive weapons within public places in Scotland. This included findings on the characteristics of these cases, based on a random sample of 1,500 crimes recorded by the police for the first six months (April to September) of 2013 and 2017. More information can be found by accessing the ‘Recorded Crime in Scotland: Handling Offensive Weapons’ publication.

On 28 June 2022, Part 1, Section 6 of the Offensive Weapons Act was implemented. This included the introduction of an offence of having a corrosive substance in a public place. There were ten crimes of Possessing a corrosive substance in a public place in 2023-24 (five used in other crimes or offences and five not used).

Part 4 of the legislation came into effect on 27 March 2023, this included the introduction of offences of having certain dangerous knives in a private place and being in possession of prohibited offensive weapons in a private place. This means the possession of certain offensive weapons is now illegal in both a public and private place. In 2023-24, there were 15 crimes of Possession of certain dangerous knives in a private place (6 of which were used in other criminal activity and 9 which were not). In the same period there were 230 crimes of Possession of prohibited offensive weapons in a private place, 79 of these were used in other criminal activity and 151 were not.

Weapons possession – Not used in other crimes or offences

The crime of Weapons possession (not used) accounted for 8% of Crimes against society in 2023-24.

Over the ten year period from 2014-15 to 2023-24 the number of crimes recorded in this category increased by 45% (from 3,289 to 4,759). There was a 17% increase in the most recent year, from 4,064 in 2022-23 to 4,759 in 2023-24.

In 2023-24, 138 crimes of handling an offensive weapon (not used) occurred within a prison, compared to 81 in 2022-23.

In 2023-24, 136 crimes of handling an offensive weapon (not used) occurred within a school. This compares to 147 in 2022-23.

Weapons possession – Used in other crimes or offences

The crime of Weapons possession (used) accounted for 10% of Crimes against society in 2023-24.

There was a 7% increase in the most recent year, from 5,663 crimes recorded in 2022-23 to 6,070 in 2023-24.

In 2023-24, 72 crimes of handling an offensive weapon (used) occurred within a prison, compared to 66 in 2022-23.

In 2023-24, 95 crimes of handling an offensive weapon (used) occurred within a school, compared to 96 in 2022-23.

Drugs – Supply

Crimes related to the Supply of Drugs accounted for 7% of Crimes against society. Over the ten-year period from 2014-15 to 2023-24 the number of crimes recorded in this category decreased by 19%. However, there was a 3% increase in the most recent year, from 4,087 in 2022-23 to 4,223 in 2023-24.

Drugs – Possession

Crimes of Possession of Drugs accounted for 34% of Crimes against society. Over the ten year period from 2014-15 to 2023-24 the number of crimes recorded in this category has decreased by 33%. This includes a 6% decrease in the most recent year, from 22,356 crimes in 2022-23 to 21,121 in 2023-24.

Other crimes against society

Other crimes against society accounted for less than 1% of all Crimes against society. This category includes Treason, Conspiracy, Explosive offences, Wrecking, piracy and hijacking, and Crimes against public order.

Over the ten year period from 2014-15 to 2023-24 the number of crimes recorded in this category decreased by 24%. However, there was a 12% increase in the most recent year, from 237 crimes recorded in 2022-23 to 266 in 2023-24.