Violent crime is set to hit record new highs on Nicola Sturgeon’s watch if current trends continue, new Scottish Conservative analysis has revealed.
The latest monthly Recorded Crime Statistics show violent crime incidents in the current financial year have soared compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019-20, when violent crimes hit an eight-year high.
Between April 2021 and January 2022 over 8,000 violent crimes have been recorded, an increase of almost 300 incidents on the same period in 2019-20.
If that trend continues, the number of violent incidents would be at their highest since Nicola Sturgeon became First Minister.
Violent incidents also surged in the first month of 2022 with almost 800 incidents recorded.
Shadow Justice Secretary Jamie Greene says that the rising trend in violent crime is further proof that the SNP’s soft-touch justice policies – including the presumption against short sentences and automatic early release - are failing to keep communities safe.
He also believes the SNP’s real-terms cut to Police Scotland’s capital budget and a reduction in officer numbers is hampering the police’s ability to tackle the rising wave of violent offending.
Scottish Conservative Shadow cabinet Secretary for Justice Jamie Greene MSP, said: “Violent crime is surging on the SNP’s watch and all the signs point to incidents hitting shocking new record highs.
“Almost 800 violent incidents occurring in one month is completely unacceptable. Our hardworking police officers work tirelessly to protect our communities every single day, but they are being let down at every turn by SNP Ministers.
“The SNP’s continued soft-touch justice approach is completely failing to clamp down on violent incidents and many criminals feel they will go unpunished for appalling crimes. Policies such as the presumption against short sentences and automatic early release send out all the wrong signals to offenders.
“It is clear that violent crimes are now well beyond pre-pandemic levels and almost certain to hit their highest level during Nicola Sturgeon’s time as First Minister.
“But that’s little surprise when officers are operating with one hand tied behind their back thanks to real-terms SNP cuts to their capital budget, and police numbers being at their lowest level since March 2009.
“Yet again it is victims who are paying a heavy price. The Scottish Conservatives would guarantee victims would always be at the heart of the justice system with our Victims Law, while we would put more officers back on the frontline with a Local Policing Act.”
Notes:
Recorded violent crime surged last month. There were 789 incidents of violent crime in January 2022 – a 17% rise on January 2021 and a 7% rise on the pre-lockdown month of January 2020. The surge is driven by an increase in attempted murder and serious assault as well as ‘other violence’. (Scottish Government, Recorded Crime in Scotland January 2022, 17 February 2022, Table 1, link).
So far this financial year, violent crime is up on the pre-pandemic highs recorded in 2019-20. So far in 2021-22, there has been 8,218 violent crimes recorded in Scotland between April-January 2021-22. When compared to the same period in 2019-20, this is an increase of 291 violent crimes. The full 2019-20 financial year saw the highest level of violent crimes in 8 years. (Scottish Government, Recorded Crime in Scotland December 2021, 20 January 2022, Table 4, link; Scottish Government, Recorded Crime in Scotland 2019-20, 29 September 2020, Table 1, link).
The number of police officers in Scotland has hit its lowest level since the formation of Police Scotland. The latest statistics show that as of 31 December 2021, there were 17,117 full-time equivalent police officers across Scotland. This is the lowest figure recorded since March 2009. (Scottish Government, Police Officer Quarterly Strength Statistics 31 December 2021, 1 February 2022, link; Scottish Government, Police Officer Quarterly Strength Statistics 30 September 2021, 2 November 2021, link).
There are nearly 650 fewer local police officers since the SNP’s police merger. ‘Divisional’ officers are the core local resource who patrol streets and respond to calls. 12 out of 13 local Divisions have fewer of these officers since Police Scotland was first created, with a total cut of 643 officers across Scotland since 2013, when the SNP merged Scotland’s police force. The numbers exclude specialist officers who are shared by different divisions. (Police Scotland, Officer Numbers Q4 31 December 2021, 1 February 2022, link; Q3 2013-14, link).
The SNP Government cut Police Scotland’s capital budget in real-terms. The Scottish Conservatives called for a £35.6 million increase in capital funding for Police Scotland to spend on upgrading police cars, stations and crime-fighting equipment for 2022-23. However, there is no increase at all for police capital funding in the latest budget – which amounts to a real-terms cut. (Scottish Government, Budget 2022-23, 9 December 2021, Page 72 & 74, link).