‘Alarming’ rise in knife crime and homicides

THE rising tide of violence has been laid bare in alarming new statistics.

Police Scotland figures show a surge in killings, knife crime and attacks on emergency workers.

There were 66 homicides between April and September compared with 48 during the same period last year – a rise of 38 per cent. Incidence of blade possession jumped 13 per cent, with 1,507 cases up from 1,336.

Last night, Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: ‘It’s no surprise to see increases when the SNP presides over such a soft-touch approach to justice.’

The Police Scotland crime statistics show that in the first six months of the current financial year there were 128,751 recorded crimes, up 5 per cent over the same period in 2018/19, with some of the sharpest rises in violent crimes.

Murders have increased from 27 to 36 and culpable homicides from 21 to 30.

Alongside the leap in possession of a blade, use of one in criminal activity rose from 978 cases to 994.

Common assaults on emergency workers rose 12 per cent from 3,500 to 3,904. Elsewhere, while thefts and housebreakings have fallen, cases of fraud have rocketed by 34 per cent from 4,387 to 5,873. Sex crimes have dipped 2 per cent but among those figures revenge porn – the posting of intimate images online – is up 26 per cent from 269 to 340.

Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins said: ‘Despite the increase in knife crime, significant progress has been made to reduce knife-carrying and violence.’

The Scottish Government said: ‘We are determined to build on the marked reduction in crime, including violent crime, over the last decade in Scotland.’