In 1998, 30 per cent of offences involving the
alleged use of a firearm occurred in a dwelling. Two per cent occurred in
banks, building societies or post offices and a further 33 per cent on public
highways.
- The Strathclyde police force area which contains
44 per cent of the Scottish population, accounted for more than one half (56
per cent) of all offences in which a firearm was alleged to have been used
in 1998. More specifically, 81 per cent of recorded robberies, 61 per cent
of assaults but only 50 per cent of vandalism offences in which a firearm
was alleged to have been used took place in Strathclyde.
- The total number of offences cleared
up (where one or more persons were accused of the offence) decreased by 21
per cent, from 541 offences in 1997 to 430 in 1998. This equated to a clear-up
rate of 44 per cent, a decrease of 2 percentage points when compared with
1997.
- In 1998 the police recorded 25 offences in which
a firearm other than an airweapon had been stolen, the lowest number recorded
since this information was first collected in 1978.