User Guide to Recorded Crime Statistics in Scotland

8. Crime Registrars

The overall responsibility for compliance with the Scottish Crime Recording Standard (SCRS) lies with the Chief Constable of Police Scotland. Crime recording is led on a day-to-day basis by the National Crime Registrar. There are three regional Crime Registrars (north, east and west) and one Deputy Crime Register (west), who are managed by the National Crime Registrar. As well as having regional responsibilities, the registrars undertake internal audits of the crimes which are recorded, and are also responsible for training and the maintenance of the Scottish Crime Recording Standard and Counting Rules.

Crime recording sits within Governance, Audit and Assurance within ACC Professionalism and Assurance’s business area within Police Scotland, which is within the portfolio of the Deputy Chief Constable (Professionalism, Strategy and Engagement). This removes the Crime Registrars from direct police operational activity and investigation, and ensures they are independent, separated from operational decision making and performance issues. Such an approach is consistent with views previously expressed by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) in the HMICS 2014 Crime Audit, which stated, "The SCRS notes that the crime registrar should not be placed in a position where he or she is directly responsible for performance or reducing crime or is answerable to a line manager who has such responsibility."

Day-to-day crime recording decisions are made by Crime Managers who lead crime management units. There are thirteen such units in Police Scotland, one in each division. There were previously fourteen local divisions, with Aberdeen Division merging with Aberdeenshire and Moray Division to form the current North East Division as of 1 January 2016. The crime management units are responsible for crime recording practice in their respective divisions. Their core function is ensuring SCRS compliance.