WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE CRIME RATE IS ONE OF HIGHEST IN SCOTLAND

By Bill Heaney

West Dunbartonshire has one of the highest crime rates in Scotland, it has been officially announced by the Scottish Government.

This area comes fourth after Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh in a table of shame 32 areas long, which matches the number of council areas, with Argyll and BUte, which includes Cardross, Helensburgh and the Rosneath Peninsula all the way north to Oban and beyond.

The areas with the highest and lowest crime rates are included in the Government’s yearly report on the crimes and offences recorded and cleared up by the police.

Between 2023 and 2024, the national rate of total recorded crime was 550 crimes per 10,000 population — marking an increase from 531 in 2022-23.

Dundee was the area of Scotland with the highest number of crimes recorded per 10,000 people over the last year with 847 crimes listed. According to the report, the city was found to have a “significantly higher” number of crimes this year.

Glasgow City was found to be the area of Scotland with the second highest number of recorded crimes per 10,000 population. With a crime rate of 812, the country’s largest city also had a “significantly higher numbers of crimes” in 2023-24 according to the research.

The City of Edinburgh had the third-highest crime rate in Scotland between 2023 and 2024, with 679 crimes reported per 10,000 people. Rounding out the top five areas of Scotland with the highest crime rates are West Dunbartonshire and Aberdeen City, with 672 and 663 respectively.

Meanwhile, the Shetland Islands is the area of Scotland with the lowest crime rate. With 215 total recorded crimes per 10,000 population, it is far below the country-wide average of 550.

The Orkney Islands follow behind as the area of Scotland with the second-lowest rate of crime over the past year, with 237 crimes reported per 10,000 people. Completing the top five are East Dunbartonshire, Na h-Eileanan Siar, and East Renfrewshire, with crime rates of 241, 241, and 245 respectively.

Looking at Scotland as a whole, overall crimes recorded by the police increased this year according to the data. The total number of crimes reported in the country rose from 289,362 in 2022-23 to 299,780 in 2023-24.

However, the recording of crime remains below the position immediately prior to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The nationwide crime rate is also 51 per cent lower than its peak in 1991.

Other key findings from the report include the rate of non-sexual crimes of violence increasing by four per cent, from 68,870 to 71,463. Common assault was found to make up the clear majority of all non-sexual crimes of violence.

While sexual crimes decreased by one per cent, from 14,602 to 14,484, they are at the third-highest level seen since 1971. Recorded sexual crimes in Scotland have also increased by 52 per cent over the past 10 years.

West Dunbartonshire’s Education Committee and the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board this month stepped up their no tolerance policy for sexual crimes in local schools, hospitals, health centres and other public service places of work.

Elsewhere, crimes of dishonesty such as shoplifting and theft increased by seven per cent, from 103,393 to 111,054. The number of these crimes is back to the level seen immediately prior to the pandemic, though down 74 per cent from the peak in 1991.

According to the government report, an estimated 29 per cent of all crime is reported to the police. More information about the statistics on crimes and offences can be found on the Scottish Government website.