Recorded Crimes And Offences Involving Firearms, Scotland, 2010-11

1. Introduction

This bulletin is part of a series of bulletins produced by the Scottish Government on the criminal justice system. It provides information on those crimes and offences recorded by the police in which a firearm was alleged to have been involved or where a firearm was stolen.

Not all such crimes and offences are reported to the police. The extent of under-reporting is likely to vary considerably according to the seriousness of the crime or offence; for example, armed robberies are much more likely to be reported to the police than malicious damage caused by the firing of an air weapon. Moreover, the propensity of the public to report crimes and offences to the police is influenced by a number of factors and may therefore change over time; thus trends in the number of crimes and offences recorded may differ from trends in the number of crimes and offences actually committed.

Statistics on crimes and offences involving firearms help to inform National Outcome 9 - 'we live our lives safe from crime, disorder and danger'. These statistics attract public, academic, media and political interest, with a wide range of users and stakeholders using the statistics to monitor trends, develop research and support evidence-based policy decisions.

Chart 1 Main firearm recorded in offences involving the alleged use of a firearm, Scotland, 2001-02 to 2010-11 ¹

1. Figures for 2008-09 revised to include data for Quarter 1 (April-June) 2008 for Fife Constabulary which had previously been omitted