Justice Minister Angela Constance, Labour spokesperson Pauline McNeill MSP, Conservative MSPs Annie Wells and Liam Kerr and Drugs Minister Maree Todd.

by Lucy Ashton

More than eight out of ten violent, property and fraud crimes are not being reported to police amid ‘collapsing’ public confidence in the SNP’s single Scotland force.

Shocking figures from a Scottish Government survey of around 5,000 adults show the extent of offending.

The research found that almost 1.2million crimes such as assault, housebreaking and fraud took place in 2024/25 – including some 199,000 violent offences – but only a fraction were logged with police.

It showed 39 per cent lack confidence in the ability of the police to ‘catch criminals’ while the proportion who believe the force is doing a good job has fallen sharply.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: ‘The huge number of crimes going unreported is terrifying and speaks volumes for the collapsing public confidence in the SNP’s soft-touch justice system.’

Around 1,199,000 violent, property and fraud crimes occurred in 2024/25, according to the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SJCS), up from 1,185,000 in 2023/24.

According to The Scottish Daily Mail, the survey estimated that only 17 per cent of these crimes ‘came to the attention of the police’. Some 70 per cent of violent crimes were not reported, along with 73 per cent of property crimes – while only 5 per cent of crimes of fraud were logged. 

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: ‘I am acutely aware of the impact on the very small proportion who fall victim to violent crime.’ 

It come after Police Scotland introduced a ‘proportionate response’ strategy which led to claims thousands of crimes were being ‘written off’.

It also follows a row over an inflation-busting pay hike for Chief Constable Jo Farrell, right, who received £134,000 from the taxpayer to help her buy a second home.

The research found only 45 per cent thought the police were doing an ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ job.

In 2024/25, the proportion of adults in Scotland estimated to have experienced the types of crime in the survey was higher than in England and Wales (20.8 per cent compared to 17.1 per cent).

The SCJS found that 46 per cent off all violent crime takes place in the victim’s workplace, with 28 per cent of such offences committed by under-16s.

Meanwhile, 11.5 per cent were the victim of at least one crime of fraud or computer misuse in 2024/25.

Scottish Labour justice spokesman Pauline McNeill said: ‘It’s clear from these figures that the SNP’s soft-touch approach to justice has consequences and that this tired and out of touch SNP government has no answers.’

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said yesterday: ‘I am acutely aware of the impact on the very small proportion who fall victim to violent crime.’

A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘We have been clear about the importance of strengthening frontline policing.’

Former Police Scotland superintendent Martin Gallagher said: ‘The police need to be allowed to focus on crime, and be given the resources to do so.’

The number of suspected drug deaths in Scotland soared by 8 per cent last year in the latest blow to the SNP’s ‘national mission’ to curb addiction.

Statistics released by the Scottish Government showed 1,146 people were suspected to have died from drugs, up from 1,065 the previous year.

The SNP has been criticised for funding a ‘heroin shooting gallery’ in Glasgow – The Thistle – where addicts can inject hard drugs under medical supervision.

Scottish Tory drugs spokesman Annie Wells described the figure as ‘harrowing’, adding: ‘The Nationalists refuse to admit their policy of state-sponsored drug-taking is adding fuel to the fire. Enough is enough.’

Drugs Minister Maree Todd said: ‘Every drug death is a tragedy, and my condolences go to anyone who has lost a loved one.’