Homicides in Scotland at lowest level in almost ten years

Ten fewer homicides were recorded than in 2020/21, while there were also fewer attempted murders compared with the previous year.

However, the latest Quarter 4 Performance figures also showed fraud had increased by 18.6 per cent with an “overall increase in violent crime” of more than 11 per cent.

And while domestic abuse offences were down by almost two per cent, they were still nearly four per cent up against the five-year mean.

Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor said it takes domestic abuse “very seriously” and specialist officers were in place to tackle these offences.

Ms Taylor said: “The figures highlight that the past year has been an exceptional time for policing and the effects of the pandemic on crime continued to be felt.

“An overall increase in violent crime (11.2 per cent) is measured against a significant reduction during 2020/21 (down ten per cent) due to the restrictions in place at the time. The five-year mean ( up 2.1 per cent) offers more insight into violent crime.

“A reduction in the number of homicides is welcome but there is more to do in order to tackle violence, including working with our partners to prevent offending.

“Police Scotland takes domestic abuse very seriously and we have specialist officers who work in communities across the country to tackle these offences.

“The comprehensive review we have commissioned into the policing response to public protection will allow us to continue to adapt and respond to shifting demand and vulnerabilities in this space.”

Domestic abuse offences were down 1.7 per cent according to the latest figures, but were up 3.7 per cent against the five-year mean.

Ms Taylor added: “An increase in fraud has been recorded again this quarter and reaffirms that online policing is increasingly a key part of frontline policing.

“Work to disrupt the activities of criminals and protect the public has continued, with £6.46 million of fraud being prevented through the Banking Protocol alone.”

The Quarter 4 Performance Report also details findings of Police Scotland’s Your Police Survey between January 2022 and March 2022, with more than 14,000 responses received from members of the public. This will be presented to the Scottish Police Authority Policing Performance Committee on Tuesday (June 7).

Ms Taylor said: “Our bond with our fellow citizens is central to our legitimacy and key to enabling effective, community policing.

“The public have told us that we are doing well in delivering a consistent service and they have welcomed increased visibility and presence in areas which require it.

“We use the feedback we receive to inform our policing approach, including the Annual Police Plan for 2022/23. I want to encourage the public to continue to engage with the surveys to influence local policing.”