Tag: latest statistics

Crime: Justice Secretary hails ‘very positive trends’

Crimes in four key areas down in the past year

Recorded crime remains at one of the lowest levels in nearly 50 years, according to the latest annual statistics.

Official figures show that the total number of crimes recorded by Police Scotland in the past year was 246,511 – one of the lowest levels of recorded crime since 1974.

Overall, that figure is down by five crimes from the previous year. However, taking into account the 20,976 crimes recorded under Coronavirus related legislation, compared to just 107 towards the end of 2019-20, other crime categories have collectively decreased by 8% in the past year.

Between 2019-20 and 2020-21 recorded crime fell in four key areas:

  • non-sexual crimes of violence decreased by 4%, from 9,316 to 8,972. This includes the recording of 1,641 crimes under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 in 2020-21, the second year this legislation has been in place
  • sexual crimes decreased by 2% from 13,364 to 13,131
  • crimes of dishonesty decreased by 19%, from 111,409 to 89,731, the lowest level since 1971
  • fire-raising and vandalism decreased by 10% from 47,731 to 42,964. The recording of these crimes is at the lowest level seen since 1975

The National Statistics Recorded Crime in Scotland 2020-21 bulletin – which includes a new chapter on cyber-crime – estimated that 14,130 cyber-crimes were recorded by the police in Scotland in 2020-21, almost double the 2019-20 figure.

Part of this increase may be due to the significant impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including behavioural changes such as increased online shopping.

Justice Secretary Keith Brown said: “By all main measures crime, including violent crime, is now considerably lower than it was a decade ago, with fewer victims. These statistics show how crime in areas like vandalism and dishonesty – the sorts of crime that affects peoples’ everyday lives – has fallen, with levels not seen since the 1970s.

“There is still work to be done as the figures on cybercrime show – which is why we have this year published a prevention, awareness and enforcement strategy to make Scotland an inhospitable place for scammers.

“And while COVID-19 has no doubt had an impact on the figures, recorded crime was on a downward trend beforehand and through the measures we recently announced out in our Programme for Government – we will continue to make Scotland a safe place to live.

“It sets out how we intend to transform the way in which justice services are delivered, moving away from the use of custody for those who don’t pose a risk of serious harm, while protecting the police resource budget in real terms for the entirety of the Parliament.

“Overall, these very positive trends are testimony not just to the hard work of Police Scotland but to the vital support the Scottish Government has put in place to enable officers to do their jobs effectively.”

Read the full statistical release.

Latest homelessness figures: ‘still work to do’

The annual update on homelessness statistics covering 2019-20 has been released by Scotland’s Chief Statistician.

Findings for that period show:

  • There were 36,855 applications for homelessness assistance. This was an increase of 84 (0%) compared with the 36,771 applications made in 2018/19.
  • There were 31,333 households assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness. This is an increase of 1,097 (4%) compared to 30,236 in 2018/19.
  • These households contained 51,365 people, including 35,654 adults and 15,711 children.
  • There were 11,665 households in temporary accommodation at 31st March 2020, an increase of 676 (6%) compared to 10,989 at 31st March 2019.
  • There were 7,280 children in temporary accommodation at 31st March 2020, an increase of 485 (7%) compared to 6,795 at 31st March 2019.
  • Homelessness applications that closed in 2019/20 that used temporary accommodation spent 184 days in temporary accommodation on average.
  • There were 4,595 cases of homeless households not being offered temporary accommodation in 2019/20. 3,835 of these were in Glasgow.
  • There were 500 breaches of the unsuitable accommodation order in 2019/20, compared to 645 in 2018/19. 375 of these were in Edinburgh.
  • Of homelessness cases that closed in 2019/20, 82% (20,806 out of 27,002) of homeless households secured settled accommodation in 2019/20, increasing from 63% in 2002/03. Other outcomes included ‘Other’ (8%), ‘Returned to previous/present accommodation’ (5%), ‘Moved in with friends/relatives’ (5%) and ‘Hostel’ (1%).

The full statistical publication is available on the Scottish Government website.

Commenting on the latest statistics, Maggie Brunjes, Chief of Executive of Homeless Network Scotland, said: “We know homelessness is not always prevented or responded to quickly enough and today’s figures from 2019/20 show there is still work to do, despite such a determined policy environment in Scotland. 

“The system itself is outdated and too often doesn’t reflect what actually works and what matters. This is changing but change on the ground can be slow and the pandemic has heaped uncertainty onto an already complex problem. 

“The causes of homelessness are predictable and most often rooted in disadvantage, which restricts people’s options. The figures also highlight housing supply and housing access issues and increasing the supply of suitable homes for families and individuals is pressing.  

“Effective prevention can stop homelessness before it starts and a top-level group is working on how we can get better at this. If someone’s homelessness is not prevented that person should be accommodated quickly in normal, settled housing with the right support – this is the focus of Scotland’s rapid rehousing and Housing First approach. 

“The statistics released today do not include the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on homelessness: the ‘overnight’ success in lifting people out of rough sleeping, a ban on evictions and urgent measures by charities, councils and government to plan ahead for this winter.

“Nor do they fully reflect the first year of Scotland’s ground-breaking rapid rehousing plans coming into effect. However, the figures are a reminder that the big, structural systems change needed to end homelessness, which is well underway, must continue at pace.” 

NOTE: The figures in this publication report data up until 31st March 2020, so this only crosses over with around a week of coronavirus restrictions and changes in practices being in place. Therefore, changes in trends in homeless data as result of coronavirus will be extremely minimal over this reporting period.