WHITE FLAG ON PETTY CRIME
Just 34pc of thefts, vandalism and break-ins are reported to police as Scots lose faith in SNP’s soft-touch justice system
NEARLY two in every three crimes are not reported to police as concerns grow about the SNP’s soft-touch approach to justice. Soaring numbers of criminals involved in property crimes such as vandalism, theft and break-ins are never punished, partly because victims believed officers ‘would not have been interested’.
The shocking new figures show confidence in police has waned and sparked fears that ‘the white flag is being raised on petty crime’.
Despite regularly boasting that recorded crime is at an all-time low, a Scottish Government report published yesterday showed true crime rates are on the rise.
Overall, the number of crimes is estimated to have increased by 24,000 – from 688,000 in 2014-15 to 712,000 in 2016-17 – while violent incidents are estimated to have soared from 186,000 to 231,000.
Confidence in policing has slumped since the creation of the single national
while members of the public feel the number of ‘bobbies on the beat’ is on the decline and concerns about soft-touch punishments have grown, according to the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey.
Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: ‘The abundance of information provided by the Scottish Crime Survey paints a picture of rising violent crime, diminishing confidence in the police and unreported crime.’
He added: ‘We can’t get into a situation where the white flag is being raised on petty crime. Police have to take it seriously, and members of the public need to be assured that it is worth reporting.’
Overall, just 37 per cent of all crimes are reported to police, according to the survey by the Scottish Government’s National Statistics agency, compared to 38 per cent in 2014-15 and 42 per cent in 2007-08.
The figures are even worse for property crime, at 34 per cent – down from 42 per cent in 2007-08 to a record low. One in five of all property crimes were not reported by victims to police because they thought they ‘would not have been interested’.
Another finding in the report showed only 39 per cent of Scots think the justice system gives out punishments which fit the crime, compared to 53 per cent when the SNP came to power in 2007. Mr Kerr said: ‘This survey repeatedly highlights how out of touch the SNP justice strategy is and, as a result, public confidence in the police is diminishing. The SNP soft-touch approach to crime abandons victims, undermines the police and enables criminals to walk away from punishment.’
This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of the creation of Police Scotland. But the survey indicates confidence in the police has fallen since the inception of the single force in 2013. It found 58 per cent of Scots think police are doing an excellent or good job, down from 61 per cent in 2012-13.
It also showed fewer people are seeing ‘bobbies on the beat’. Just 43 per cent said they are aware of regular police patrols, down from a high of 56 per cent in 2012-13.
The SNP plans to abolish prison sentences of less than a year. But David Hines, founder of the National Victims Association, said: ‘I’m fed up of ministers and politicians not listening to what people want when it comes to sentences and murderers getting out of prison it is a joke.
‘For ministers to say victims are at the heart of the system – we just are not.’
However, Police Scotland said the number of people who felt confident the police would catch criminals has risen from 60 per cent to 63 per cent in the past two years, while the number who felt the force would solve crimes rose from 62 to 65 per cent.
Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: ‘Local policing and serving the people is at the heart of everything we do, so it is encouraging to see that public confidence in Police Scotland’s ability to solve crimes and catch criminals is increasing.’
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said: ‘Scotland’s firm focus on prevention, responsive policing and local partnerships to help individuals and communities keep themselves safe has had a positive impact on long-term crime trends and people’s feeling of safety, with recorded crime at a 43-year low.’
However, he added: ‘We must keep identifying those areas where we can most effectively focus our collective efforts to achieve the greatest impact, ensuring all our communities benefit from falling crime.’
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