- The Scottish police
recorded 432,000 crimes and 516,000 offences
during 1998; increases of 3 and 6 per cent
respectively when compared with the 1997 figures.
- This most recent
increase in recorded crime reverses the downward
trend evident since 1992. However the level of
total recorded crime in 1998 was 25 per cent
lower than the peak 1991 figure.
- The number of non-sexual
crimes of violence recorded by the police
increased by 10 per cent in 1998 in contrast to a
similar decrease the previous year. Within this
group all the categories showed an increase; the
largest percentage increase was in the number of
crimes of "handling an offensive
weapon" (13 per cent).
- The number of crimes
in the indecency group increased by 4 per
cent in 1998 to 7,400, the highest number
recorded since 1971. Within this group recorded
cases of sexual assault - which includes rape and
indecent assault - increased by 9 per cent to
total 2,200 whilst the number of crimes of lewd
and indecent behaviour decreased by 2 per cent to
total 3,000 in 1998. The number of crimes
recorded in the "other" sub-group
increased by 7 per cent (151 cases) to 2,300 and
was mainly as a result of an increase in
prostitution related offences.
- The overall increase
in recorded crime in 1998 was due almost entirely
to an increase in the number of crimes of
dishonesty (up 3 per cent) and, in
particular, the number of crimes of theft by
opening a lockfast place, which increased by 26
per cent (2,500) to total 12,200 and fraud, which
increased by 18 per cent (2,900). The
housebreaking figure (56,600) increased by 2 per
cent in 1998 but remains at less than half the
number recorded in 1991 when the figure stood at
116,100. Crimes involving theft of a motor
vehicle continue to fall and numbered 28,400 in
1998.
- Recorded cases of vandalism
(including malicious mischief) decreased by 2 per
cent (1,600) to total 76,600 in 1998 and the
number of crimes of fire-raising fell by
10 per cent to total 2,500 in 1998.
- Within the
"other crimes" group, recorded
drugs related crimes increased by 7 per cent from
29,400 in 1997 to 31,500 in 1998 and were more
than four times the number recorded in 1989.
- The crime clear-up
rate rose from 39 per cent in 1997 to 41 per
cent in 1998. The number of crimes cleared
up by the police increased significantly from
164,000 in 1997 to 178,000 in 1998, an increase
of 8 per cent. There were increases in the
clear-up rate for almost all individual
categories of crimes and offences. For each
police officer in the eight Scottish forces, 29
crimes were recorded and 12 were cleared up in
1998. The number of crimes cleared up per police
officer has remained fairly constant at 11 or 12
during the 1990s.
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