The number of recorded crimes in Scotland has risen by 8,000 over the last year.
By Democrat reporter
Police in Scotland recorded 300,070 crimes in the year ending June 2024, according to figures released by Scotland’s Chief Statistician.
Domestic abuse – West Dunbartonshire has one of the worst records in the country for this – was up by 22 per cent and shoplifting was up by 34 per cent.
And there is expected to be a spike in domstic abuse crimes come the weekend when the Celtic v Rangers match will take place on Sunday.
When these two teams meet and the game appears on television police records show that the number of call-outs and arrests for domestic abuse soar.
Crimes recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 rose from 1,784 to 2,169 and shoplifting climbed from 30,202 to 40,554, prompting calls for action.
Non-sexual crimes of violence were up two per cent this year rising from 70,136 to 71,341. This is nine per cent higher than 2020.
As well as domestic abuse, the category also includes robbery which was up 16 per cent to 1,938 crimes recorded.
Sexual assaults recorded by the police fell five per cent in the same period to 4,959 crimes.
This is three per cent higher than the 172,923 offences recorded in the year ending June 2023.
It is five per cent lower than the 187,790 offences recorded in the year ending June 2020.
Hate aggravated conduct was up 11 per cent to 1,702 offences.
Mobile phone driving offences also recorded a marked increase of 25 per cent to 3,761.
Among the largest falls in recorded offences were speeding – down 23 per cent year on year to 14,306 offences – and drunkenness and disorderly conduct, down 29 per cent to 2,388.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Scotland continues to be a safe place to live, with recorded crime at one of the lowest levels since 1974 and down 40% since 2006-07.
Meanwhile, responding to new recorded crime figures for the year ending June 2024, which show that 300,070 crimes were recorded, up 3% from the previous year, including a 16% increase in robbery, a 22% increase in domestic abuse and a 34% increase in shoplifting, former police officer Wendy Chamberlain MP, pictured right, said:
“The decision that some crimes won’t be investigated shows the extent to which community policing has been undermined.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own homes and communities, but for too many people that’s not the reality today.
“Meanwhile officers feel unsupported, overwhelmed and stretched dangerously thin. It is no surprise that so many are quitting.
“Liberal Democrats would ensure the police have the resources they need to keep people safe, including specialist mental health staff, require the banks to do more to protect people from fraud, and improve cooperation with our European neighbours on tackling cross-border crime.”