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Publication - Consultation paper

The future of recorded crime and police activity statistics: consultation

Published
22 October 2021
Directorate
Justice Directorate, +1 more … Safer Communities Directorate
Part of
Law and order
ISBN
9781802015355

We are consulting on the production and dissemination of Scotland’s recorded crime statistics, and on the possible development of new analysis on other types of policing activity. The responses we receive will help inform our long term strategy for the delivery of crime and policing statistics.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Annex A – Current classification of police recorded crimes and offences

Table 1: Current classification - Crimes recorded by the police, Scotland, 2011-12 to 2020-21
Number & Percentage
Crime group 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 % change 19-20 to 2020-21 % change 11-12 to 2020-21
Total Crimes 314,188 273,053 270,397 256,350 246,243 238,921 244,504 246,480 246,516 246,511 0 -22
Non-sexual crimes of violence 9,484 7,468 6,686 6,272 6,737 7,164 7,251 8,008 9,316 8,972 -4 -5
Homicide etc. (incl. causing death by driving) 121 91 106 105 81 105 98 102 121 100 -17 -17
Attempted murder & serious assault[4] 4,693 3,643 3,268 3,166 4,007 4,186 4,189 4,359 4,097 3,511 -14 -25
Robbery 2,244 1,832 1,499 1,497 1,327 1,435 1,556 1,807 1,738 1,673 -4 -25
Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act - - - - - - - - 1,681 1,641 -2  
Other violence 2,426 1,902 1,813 1,504 1,322 1,438 1,408 1,740 1,679 2,047 22 -16
Sexual crimes[5] 7,361 7,693 8,604 9,557 10,273 11,092 12,487 13,547 13,364 13,131 -2 78
Rape & attempted rape 1,274 1,462 1,808 1,901 1,809 1,878 2,255 2,426 2,343 2,298 -2 80
Sexual assault 2,908 3,008 3,405 3,727 3,963 4,281 4,826 5,123 4,936 4,154 -16 43
Crimes associated with prostitution 567 534 490 374 247 303 136 235 101 56 -45 -90
Other sexual crimes 2,612 2,689 2,901 3,555 4,254 4,630 5,270 5,763 5,984 6,623 11 154
Crimes of dishonesty 154,337 135,899 137,324 126,857 115,789 113,205 114,474 114,506 111,409 89,731 -19 -42
Housebreaking[6] 24,222 21,515 22,272 20,607 17,637 16,299 15,130 13,777 12,903 9,706 -25 -60
Theft by opening a lockfast place (OLP) 3,529 3,239 3,218 2,879 2,193 1,940 2,027 1,684 1,728 1,207 -30 -66
Theft from a motor vehicle by OLP 8,988 6,159 6,189 5,816 4,684 3,888 3,734 3,532 2,982 2,108 -29 -77
Theft of a motor vehicle 7,060 5,731 5,976 5,423 5,028 5,216 5,024 4,950 5,002 4,311 -14 -39
Shoplifting 29,758 26,449 27,693 27,364 28,424 28,650 31,321 33,523 30,688 20,557 -33 -31
Other theft 66,681 58,704 58,794 53,539 46,419 45,173 44,437 42,880 41,421 32,017 -23 -52
Fraud 8,892 8,898 8,088 6,913 7,400 7,811 8,628 9,675 11,939 15,031 26 69
Other dishonesty 5,207 5,204 5,094 4,316 4,004 4,228 4,173 4,485 4,746 4,794 1 -8
Fire-raising 3,755 3,066 2,549 2,351 2,595 2,793 2,632 2,481 2,657 2,580 -3 -31
Vandalism etc. 71,446 56,413 51,869 49,740 51,631 49,721 48,690 45,516 45,074 40,384 -10 -43
Other crimes 67,805 62,514 63,365 61,573 59,218 54,946 58,970 62,422 64,589 70,737 10 4
Crimes against public justice 26,635 23,401 23,610 21,100 20,361 18,795 18,679 18,512 19,441 24,985 29 -6
Handling offensive weapons - - - - - - 7,733 8,896 9,644 10,184 6 n/r
Not used in other criminal activity 5,631 4,015 3,795 3,289 3,111 3,271 3,570 4,216 4,484 4,524 1 -20
Used in other criminal activity - - - - - - 4,163 4,680 5,160 5,660 10 -
Drugs 35,157 34,688 35,616 36,836 35,479 32,641 32,399 34,831 35,303 35,410 0 1
Other 382 410 344 348 267 239 159 183 201 158 -21 -59
Coronavirus restrictions - - - - - - - - 107 20,976 n/r
Table 2: Current classification - Offences recorded by the police, Scotland, 2011-12 to 2020-21
Number & Percentage
Offence group 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 % change 19-20 to 2020-21 % change 11-12 to 2020-21
Total offences - - 501,281 379,498 339,193 288,691 264,027 247,791 250,662 240,174 -4 -
Miscellaneous offences 210,135 203,063 207,190 183,513 168,896 150,523 137,012 130,686 128,755 124,120 -4 -41
Common assault 69,253 60,955 60,357 58,178 58,596 57,861 58,335 57,915 57,833 52,052 -10 -25
Breach of the peace etc. 71,451 70,301 71,288 63,205 62,233 58,235 53,187 50,708 50,327 49,696 -1 -30
Drunkenness and other disorderly conduct 37,458 39,238 43,043 35,524 24,639 15,796 8,635 6,724 5,234 5,961 14 -84
Urinating etc. 13,602 15,420 15,361 11,216 7,700 4,505 3,044 2,466 2,153 894 -58 -93
Other 18,371 17,149 17,141 15,390 15,728 14,126 13,811 12,873 13,208 15,517 17 -16
Motor vehicle offences - - 294,091 195,985 170,297 138,168 127,015 117,105 121,907 116,054 -5 -
Dangerous and careless driving 9,853 10,530 11,524 10,773 12,057 11,693 10,722 10,989 11,246 11,771 5 19
Driving under the influence 7,445 6,433 6,079 5,218 5,458 5,917 5,863 5,847 6,594 8,097 23 9
Speeding - - 82,382 60,926 54,419 34,371 29,223 27,368 28,758 22,963 -20 -
Unlawful use of vehicle - - 57,779 40,855 41,470 45,978 43,871 36,848 39,022 43,309 11 -
Vehicle defect offences - - 20,923 15,593 13,070 8,385 7,049 7,107 7,346 6,839 -7 -
Seat belt offences 31,505 33,047 37,880 15,619 8,059 4,502 3,134 2,921 2,800 1,632 -42 -95
Mobile phone offences 29,110 30,875 35,764 17,978 10,085 6,709 3,173 2,895 2,450 1,629 -34 -94
Other - - 41,760 29,023 25,679 20,613 23,980 23,130 23,691 19,814 -16 -

Contact

Email: crimeconsultation@gov.scot

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