Recorded Crime in Scotland: August 2021

Official Statistics on crimes and offences recorded by the police in Scotland for August 2021.


Tables

Table 1: Crimes recorded by the police, Scotland, August 2019, 2020 and 2021

Table 2: Offences recorded by the police, Scotland, August 2019, 2020 and 2021

Table 3: Crimes recorded by the police by local authority, Scotland, August 2019, 2020 and 2021

Table 4: Crimes recorded by the police, Scotland, April to August 2019, 2020 and 2021

Table 5: Offences recorded by the police, Scotland, April to August 2019, 2020 and 2021

Notes for these tables

  • The symbol 'n/r' is used to denote where a percentage change figure is not reported. This is done if the denominator is less than ten as any resulting figure may be misleading.
  • Please note that tables 1, 2, 4 and 5 can be accessed at local authority level online via the following link: Recorded Crime in Scotland: August 2021
Table 1: Crimes recorded by the police, Scotland, August 2019, 2020 and 2021
Crime group August 2019 August 2020 August 2021 % change since August 2020 % change since August 2019
Total crimes1 20,730 19,921 19,071 -4% -8%
Non-sexual crimes of violence 775 828 791 -4% 2%
Homicide etc. 8 10 5 -50% n/r
Attempted murder & serious assault 340 396 319 -19% -6%
Robbery 158 138 119 -14% -25%
Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 144 122 134 10% -7%
Other violence 125 162 214 32% 71%
Sexual crimes 1,128 1,091 1,130 4% 0%
Rape & attempted rape 216 164 189 15% -13%
Sexual assault 439 356 411 15% -6%
Crimes associated with prostitution 3 4 8 n/r n/r
Other sexual crimes 470 567 522 -8% 11%
Crimes of dishonesty 9,159 8,118 8,177 1% -11%
Housebreaking 1,030 881 748 -15% -27%
Theft by opening a lockfast place (OLP) 142 112 109 -3% -23%
Theft from a motor vehicle by OLP 226 162 143 -12% -37%
Theft of a motor vehicle 382 355 380 7% -1%
Shoplifting 2,570 1,852 1,967 6% -23%
Other theft 3,614 3,036 3,133 3% -13%
Fraud 866 1,354 1,404 4% 62%
Other dishonesty 329 366 293 -20% -11%
Fire-raising, vandalism etc. 3,963 3,948 3,786 -4% -4%
Fire-raising 191 196 224 14% 17%
Vandalism etc. 3,772 3,752 3,562 -5% -6%
Other crimes 5,705 5,936 5,187 -13% -9%
Crimes against public justice 1,727 2,210 1,919 -13% 11%
Handling offensive weapons 774 953 944 -1% 22%
Not used in other criminal activity 322 411 423 3% 31%
Used in other criminal activity 452 542 521 -4% 15%
Drugs 3,187 2,766 2,305 -17% -28%
Other 17 7 19 n/r 12%

1. The total figure for recorded crime excludes the new crimes being recorded under the recently enacted coronavirus legislation. Please see the Crimes recorded under coronavirus legislation section for more information.

Table 2: Offences recorded by the police, Scotland, August 2019, 2020 and 2021
Crime group August 2019 August 2020 August 2021 % change since August 2020 % change since August 2019
Total offences 21,725 21,847 20,314 -7% -6%
Miscellaneous offences 11,407 12,375 11,160 -10% -2%
Common assault 5,028 5,241 5,020 -4% 0%
Breach of the peace etc. 4,555 4,991 4,298 -14% -6%
Drunkenness and other disorderly conduct 525 601 511 -15% -3%
Urinating etc. 177 125 137 10% -23%
Other miscellaneous offences 1,122 1,417 1,194 -16% 6%
Motor vehicle offences 10,318 9,472 9,154 -3% -11%
Dangerous and careless driving 957 1,072 1,141 6% 19%
Driving under the influence 512 770 676 -12% 32%
Speeding 2,688 1,783 1,698 -5% -37%
Unlawful use of vehicle 3,103 2,904 2,781 -4% -10%
Vehicle defect offences 559 646 523 -19% -6%
Seat belt offences 265 261 172 -34% -35%
Mobile phone offences 195 169 144 -15% -26%
Other motor vehicle offences 2,039 1,867 2,019 8% -1%
Table 3: Crimes recorded by the police by local authority, Scotland, August 2019, 2020 and 2021
Local authority August 2019 August 2020 August 2021 % change since August 2020 % change since August 2019
Aberdeen City 906 979 1,078 10% 19%
Aberdeenshire 591 534 542 1% -8%
Angus 358 324 366 13% 2%
Argyll & Bute 235 245 239 -2% 2%
Clackmannanshire 243 220 209 -5% -14%
Dumfries & Galloway 559 491 556 13% -1%
Dundee City 889 872 817 -6% -8%
East Ayrshire 458 456 420 -8% -8%
East Dunbartonshire 207 224 192 -14% -7%
East Lothian 311 318 332 4% 7%
East Renfrewshire 176 174 165 -5% -6%
Edinburgh City 2,871 1,908 1,856 -3% -35%
Falkirk 612 551 471 -15% -23%
Fife 1,052 1,241 1,257 1% 19%
Glasgow City 3,415 3,498 3,112 -11% -9%
Highland 616 563 584 4% -5%
Inverclyde 331 265 321 21% -3%
Midlothian 362 312 314 1% -13%
Moray 195 233 229 -2% 17%
Na h-Eileanan Siar 34 24 31 29% -9%
North Ayrshire 555 588 516 -12% -7%
North Lanarkshire 1,432 1,502 1,379 -8% -4%
Orkney Islands 35 41 39 -5% 11%
Perth & Kinross 403 429 426 -1% 6%
Renfrewshire 618 667 612 -8% -1%
Scottish Borders 304 303 359 18% 18%
Shetland Islands 39 24 36 50% -8%
South Ayrshire 372 444 371 -16% 0%
South Lanarkshire 1,277 1,278 1,022 -20% -20%
Stirling 338 286 264 -8% -22%
West Dunbartonshire 404 400 329 -18% -19%
West Lothian 532 527 627 19% 18%
Scotland1 20,730 19,921 19,071 -4% -8%

1. The total figure for recorded crime excludes the new crimes being recorded under the recently enacted coronavirus legislation. Please see the Crimes recorded under coronavirus legislation section for more information.

Table 4: Crimes recorded by the police, Scotland, April to August 2019, 2020 and 2021
Crime group April to August 2019 April to August 2020 April to August 2021 % Change since 2020 % Change since 2019
Total crimes1 106,369 98,520 95,832 -3% -10%
Non-sexual crimes of violence 3,947 3,757 3,976 6% 1%
Homicide etc. 59 39 39 0% -34%
Attempted murder & serious assault 1,876 1,577 1,596 1% -15%
Robbery 680 730 672 -8% -1%
Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 709 640 654 2% -8%
Other violence 623 771 1,015 32% 63%
Sexual crimes 5,703 5,201 5,898 13% 3%
Rape & attempted rape 1,013 900 1,028 14% 1%
Sexual assault 2,178 1,579 2,027 28% -7%
Crimes associated with prostitution 26 16 32 100% 23%
Other sexual crimes 2,486 2,706 2,811 4% 13%
Crimes of dishonesty 47,789 40,081 39,119 -2% -18%
Housebreaking 5,333 4,471 3,484 -22% -35%
Theft by opening a lockfast place (OLP) 744 500 528 6% -29%
Theft from a motor vehicle by OLP 1,209 1,001 794 -21% -34%
Theft of a motor vehicle 2,065 1,866 1,873 0% -9%
Shoplifting 13,829 8,487 9,131 8% -34%
Other theft 18,225 14,612 14,205 -3% -22%
Fraud 4,365 6,960 7,360 6% 69%
Other dishonesty 2,019 2,184 1,744 -20% -14%
Fire-raising, vandalism etc. 20,433 17,704 18,790 6% -8%
Fire-raising 1,183 1,096 1,213 11% 3%
Vandalism etc. 19,250 16,608 17,577 6% -9%
Other crimes 28,497 31,777 28,049 -12% -2%
Crimes against public justice 8,240 11,076 10,142 -8% 23%
Handling offensive weapons 4,226 4,648 4,573 -2% 8%
Not used in other criminal activity 1,912 2,153 2,024 -6% 6%
Used in other criminal activity 2,314 2,495 2,549 2% 10%
Drugs 15,942 15,992 13,262 -17% -17%
Other 89 61 72 18% -19%

1. The total figure for recorded crime excludes the new crimes being recorded under the recently enacted coronavirus legislation. Please see the Crimes recorded under coronavirus legislation section for more information.

Table 5: Offences recorded by the police, Scotland, April to August 2019, 2020 and 2021
Crime group April to August 2019 April to August 2020 April to August 2021 % Change since 2020 % Change since 2019
Total offences 109,779 101,864 102,896 1% -6%
Miscellaneous offences 56,917 56,765 55,389 -2% -3%
Common assault 24,887 22,622 24,061 6% -3%
Breach of the peace etc. 22,494 23,306 21,750 -7% -3%
Drunkenness and other disorderly conduct 2,909 3,259 2,676 -18% -8%
Urinating etc. 1,033 499 510 2% -51%
Other miscellaneous offences 5,594 7,079 6,392 -10% 14%
Motor vehicle offences 52,862 45,099 47,507 5% -10%
Dangerous and careless driving 4,868 4,844 5,464 13% 12%
Driving under the influence 2,588 3,739 3,383 -10% 31%
Speeding 13,769 8,711 10,201 17% -26%
Unlawful use of vehicle 16,092 15,725 15,300 -3% -5%
Vehicle defect offences 3,044 2,706 2,493 -8% -18%
Seat belt offences 1,540 925 862 -7% -44%
Mobile phone offences 1,184 816 666 -18% -44%
Other motor vehicle offences 9,777 7,633 9,138 20% -7%

Contact

Email: Justice_Analysts@gov.scot

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