Written Question · S5W-30676 · Session 5
What measures it is taking to improve confidence in policing, which, according to the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey 2018/19, has fallen…
The question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to improve confidence in policing, which, according to the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey 2018/19, has fallen since Police Scotland formed, from 61% in 2012-13 to 56% in 2018-19.
The answer
While it is the responsibility of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) to hold the Chief Constable to account I would like to draw your attention to the fact that 87.6% of people in Scotland have experienced no crime in 2018-19 and that 78% of adults felt very or fairly safe walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark.
This is an increase of 12% since 2008-9 demonstrating that the public continue to hold a generally positive perception about the police and justice system.
This has also been reflected in the recent public survey commissioned by the SPA (Policing Lockdown: The Public’s View) which identified that there is a high level of support and confidence in the police during the pandemic.
I would also like to highlight that the proportion of adults who were a victim of crime has fallen from one-in-five (20.4%) in 2008-09 to one-in-eight (12.4%) in 2018-19 and that overall crime is down by 45% since 2008-09, and by 20% since 2016-17 to the lowest level ever estimated by the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey.
Adults in Scotland are now less likely to experience crime than those in England & Wales, who had an equivalent victimisation rate of 14.9% in 2018-19.
Violent crime is down by 48% and property crime by 44% since 2008-09 and the proportion of younger adults experiencing violent crime has almost halved between 2008-09 and 2018-19, from 12.0% to 6.1%.
These results are consistent with our recorded crime figures over the longer term which show crime is at one of the lowest levels since 1974.
The survey findings also show that public confidence in the police is broadly higher than in 2008-09 and that the majority of people who have come into contact with the police in recent years reflect positively on their experience.
We have also established a Victims Taskforce, which I co-chair along with the Lord Advocate, which is focusing on improving the experiences of victims and witnesses. Membership consists of senior decision makers in justice, support, legal and local authority sectors.
The Scottish Government has also committed £17.9 million for victim support services.
While the allocation and prioritisation of resources is for the Chief Constable and SPA to determine. The Scottish Government are protecting Police Scotland’s resource budget in real terms in every year of the current Parliament, delivering a boost of over £100 million by 2021. Furthermore, at the last Scottish budget announcement, the Scottish Government increased the policing budget by £60 million, a 5.1% rise compared to 2019-20.
This is an increase of 12% since 2008-9 demonstrating that the public continue to hold a generally positive perception about the police and justice system.
This has also been reflected in the recent public survey commissioned by the SPA (Policing Lockdown: The Public’s View) which identified that there is a high level of support and confidence in the police during the pandemic.
I would also like to highlight that the proportion of adults who were a victim of crime has fallen from one-in-five (20.4%) in 2008-09 to one-in-eight (12.4%) in 2018-19 and that overall crime is down by 45% since 2008-09, and by 20% since 2016-17 to the lowest level ever estimated by the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey.
Adults in Scotland are now less likely to experience crime than those in England & Wales, who had an equivalent victimisation rate of 14.9% in 2018-19.
Violent crime is down by 48% and property crime by 44% since 2008-09 and the proportion of younger adults experiencing violent crime has almost halved between 2008-09 and 2018-19, from 12.0% to 6.1%.
These results are consistent with our recorded crime figures over the longer term which show crime is at one of the lowest levels since 1974.
The survey findings also show that public confidence in the police is broadly higher than in 2008-09 and that the majority of people who have come into contact with the police in recent years reflect positively on their experience.
We have also established a Victims Taskforce, which I co-chair along with the Lord Advocate, which is focusing on improving the experiences of victims and witnesses. Membership consists of senior decision makers in justice, support, legal and local authority sectors.
The Scottish Government has also committed £17.9 million for victim support services.
While the allocation and prioritisation of resources is for the Chief Constable and SPA to determine. The Scottish Government are protecting Police Scotland’s resource budget in real terms in every year of the current Parliament, delivering a boost of over £100 million by 2021. Furthermore, at the last Scottish budget announcement, the Scottish Government increased the policing budget by £60 million, a 5.1% rise compared to 2019-20.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S5W-30676 by reference.