10 December 2004
Audit Scotland has voiced concern over an increase in the number of violent crimes.
In a performance information report published this week, the public spending watchdog said police forces had been set a target of reducing serious violent crimes, such as murder, rape and assault, by 5%.
However, the 14,310 such crimes reported in 2003/04 were 12% above the target of 12,722. Audit Scotland chair Alastair MacNish said the increase was 'worrying, and requires serious action'.
The number of serious violent crimes reported ranged from 242 in Dumfries and Galloway to 7,837 in Strathclyde. Figures for the Northern force were excluded from the survey because these were considered to be unreliable.
The report shows that almost 56% of the crimes were cleared up — a 1% improvement on the previous year.
Overall, police forces solved nearly 47% of crimes in 2003/04, continuing a year-on-year improvement. They exceeded targets on housebreaking cases, which fell by 10%.
The report reveals a rising number of racist incidents, up from 3,338 in 2002/03 to 3,787 in 2003/04. This amounts to a 40% rise since 2001/02.
The performance information also covered fire services. The number of accidental house fires continued to fall.
PFdec2004
